EU proposes more radio spectrum for mobile broadband

The European Commission has proposed allocating more available European radio spectrum for wireless broadband and other wireless services by the end of 2012.

Promoting wireless broadband has been one of the commission's key objectives, regarded as boosting new technologies as well as bringing faster broadband connections to people living in remote areas. Radio spectrum is becoming available due to a switch from analog television broadcasting to digital, but the commission has been concerned that in some member states the freed-up bandwidth might be used for more regional broadcasting rather than new mobile services. Instead, the commission wants European Union countries to allocate freed-up radio spectrum to mobile operators that can then build new fourth-generation, or 4G, networks, allowing users to watch high-definition videos on mobile devices and to receive and upload data faster than before.