Europe considers its options for the digital dividend · been quite swift, with analogue and digital broadcasting rarely coexisting for more than nine months. Switch over is due to

Spectrum and spare frequencies

Europe considers its options for thedigital dividend

By Jonathan Watson

Ever since the advent of digital TV, it hasbeen clear that one day, analogue broad-

casting would no longer be needed. But eventhough that day is now fast approaching, withmost European countries planning to switch offtheir analogue TV signals by 2012, the debateabout what to do with the spare frequenciesfreed up by the move - the so-called "digitaldividend" - is far from over.

This debate, although complex, often boilsdown to a single question: should the availablefrequencies be used for more, better digital TV,such as high-definition digital terrestrial TV (HDDn) and mobile TV, or should they be usedprimarily to improve the availability of mobileand fixed-line broadband Internet access?

The digital dividend

The digital dividend can be defined as thespectrum over and above the frequenciesrequired for existing broadcasting services in afully digital environment, including current pub-lic service obligations.

More TV channels with less spectrumDigital compression systems already allow thetransmission of between six and eight stand-ard digital TV channels in the spectrum previ-ously used by one analogue TV channel, andthese efficiency gains are expected to continueincreasing in the future.

The UK, for example, is planning to provie 45TV channels in much less spectrum than previ-ously used for the equivalent of seven nationalanalogue broadcasting channels, and is con-sidering introducing up to 20 extra TV channelsin the excess frequencies. The digital dividendis also expected to exceed the spectrum cur-rently available for GSM mobile phone systemsin most European countries.

www.iicom.org

Spectrum of "premium" quality

Not all spectrum bands offer the same physicalcharacteristics: higher frequencies do not carrysignals as far, and do not penetrate buildingsas easily, and lower frequencies have capacitylimitations and create more interference. Thespectrum of the digital dividend is particularlyattractive because it is part of the "best" spec-trum located between 200 MHz and 1GHz,offering a good balance between transmissioncapacity and distance coverage. Its good sig-nal propagation characteristics also mean thatless infrastructure is needed to provide widercoverage. This reduces cost and improvesservice, particularly in ensuring communica-tions inside buildings and reaching out toremote populations in rural areas.

Fragmentation

However, the spectrum making up the digitaldividend is currently highly fragmented intorelatively narrow bands, scattered over manyfrequencies, and intertwined with digital broad-casting channels. This is a result of spectrumplanning options adopted at the ITU RegionalRadiocommunication Conference, which pro-duced an international plan, the Geneva 2006agreement, on the basis of traditional broad-casting use. Some flexibility is provided in theGeneva agreement to open up the spectrumto other uses. However, this flexibility is limitedunder existing technical conditions.

EC action

In recent months, the European Commissionhas been attempting to encourage EU memberstates to make faster decisions about how touse the dividend. In a communication pub-lished in November, Brussels described therelease of frequencies as "a unique opportunity

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Spectrum and spare frequencies

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to meet the fast growing demand for wirelesscommunications services. It opens up suffi-cient spectrum for broadcasters to significantlydevelop and expand their services while at thesame time ensuring that other important socialand economic uses, such as broadband appli-cations to overcome the 'digital divide', haveaccess to this valuable resource,"

The communication argued that many potentialuses of the dividend would simply not occur ifaccess to spectrum was not better coordinatedacross the member states. "Overcoming thismajor hurdle calls for 'tidying up' the spectrumof the digital dividend in order to make it moreusable and more consistent across borders,"the communication said.

The Commission's idea for "tidying up" thespectrum is to group the released frequenciesinto "clusters" which could be used for similartypes of services, Keeping the same types ofservice - mobile broadband, for example, ordigital TV - in the same clusters would reducethe chances of interference between the vari-ous services. The communication suggeststhat the more straightforward services suchas broadcasting should go in the lower bands;more complex offerings such as mobile TVshould go in a higher sub-band; while servicesthat require the highest degree of interactivity,such as mobile and fixed broadband, shouldgo in the higher frequency band, It adds thatthe broadcasting sub-band could be controlled

14 Volume 36 Number 1 MarchI April 2008

Diagram: European Commission

by member states, the middle one could beharmonised on a voluntary basis, and that thehigher band could be subject to "EU harmoni-sation".

Reaction to the plan has not been particularlypositive, much to the disappointment of theEC information society and media commis-sioner Viviane Reding. "Faster and more ambi-tious action on the digital dividend is urgentlyrequired if we want to maintain and strengthenthe competitiveness of our continent," she saidin her speech to the GSMA Mobile World Con-gress in February.

Country-by-country: the UK

Perhaps the biggest problem for the Commis-sion is that although most EU member stateshave not made a decision yet on allocating thedividend, many of them have embarked on alengthy and complex planning process. In theUK, the regulator Ofcom is leading the debatethrough its digital dividend review (DDR). Itsoriginal proposals, published in December2006, proposed auctioning the 112 MHz ofspectrum that would be released at the endof 2008 as tradable, technology and serviceneutral licences with no restriction on changeof use. The 112MHz available consists of 14channels of 8MHz, which are currently used foranalogue TV.

www.iicom.org

Spectrum and spare frequencies

UK's existing use of spectrum between 200 MHz and 1 GHz

Aeronauticaland maritime

Analoguetelev'sion

UK MoD: Ofeam

After extensive debate and further marketresearch, the regulator published revised pro-posals one year later, in December 2007. Theconsultation on these proposals is due to lastuntil March. Already there are signs of opposi-tion to Ofcom's decision not to reserve anyof the new spectrum for HD Dn, which hasangered the broadcasting industry.

At a recent event organised by the Westmin-ster Forum, Tony Lennon, president of thebroadcasting workers' union BECTU, accusedthe regulator of "treachery", arguing that theproposals made little, if any, provision to pro-tect the interests of the consumer and thecitizen. He has called on Ofcom to introduce apublic interest test into the process to ensurethat the public has some protection for thedelivery of the services it needs. "Effectivelywhat Ofcom is doing is selling [the spectrum]off to the highest bidder. Allowing the peoplewith the biggest cheque-books to decide is notthe best way." he said.

www.iicom.org

Licenceexempt

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ScienceDigital radio

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Private businessradio, other

Digital switchover in the UK is happening on aregional basis between now and 2012. The firstplace to go all-digital was the town of White-haven and surrounding borough of Copeland.The process was completed in mid-November2007 and appears to have gone smoothly:most of those involved in switchover, from Digi-tal UK, the body set up to oversee the process,to the local people and the charities broughtin to help, there is consensus that it was asuccess. The next TV region to switch over isScottish Borders in November 2008, followedby West Country, Wales and Granada, startingin 2009.

France

In France, discussions about how to use thedividend are also well under way. Unlike theUK, the final decision will be a political one,with ultimate responsibility resting with thePrime Minister. This decision is due to be takenat some point in the next 12 months. The spec-trum that will be available has not been identi-

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Spectrum and spare frequencies

France: options for digital dividendInteractive services, in particular subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearingNew digital TV channelsExtension of HDTV, either by extending the coverage of the three services soon to be authorisedby the regulator.awarding new HDTV licences or by migrating the whole of France's DTTofferingto HD. This third option would use up all of the digital dividendExtension of mobile TV, either by extending coverage in the country or by developing a secondmultiplex to add to the one already put together by the regulatorInternet for all, using the frequencies to ensure the availability of low-cost high-speed Internetaccess, either fixed or mobile, throughout France

Source: 'Dix ans apres, la regulation a I'ere numerique', report by Senator Bruno Retailleau

France: frequencies used for analogue and digital TV

Frequencies between 470 and 614MHz(band IV), 614 and 862MHz (band V)

Source: Journal du Net

Five national analogue channels (France 2, France 3,Arte IFrance 5, M6) and since March 2005, digital ter-restrialTV

fied yet, but if there is any, it will be in the 790-862MHz band identified for 3G mobile use atthe World Radio Communications conferencelast October.

One of the key bodies leading the debateis the comite strategique pour Ie numerique(strategic digital committee), introduced byformer President Jacques Chirac in May 2006.The committee advises the Prime Minister ondigital switchover and on extending digital TVcoverage. The other key body is the commis-sion du dividende numerique (digital dividendcommission), which consists of eight membersof parliament, four from the lower house (theNational Assembly) and four from the upperhouse (the Senate).

One of the members from the Senate is BrunoRetailleau, the lead author of an influentialreport on the digital dividend which was pub-lished last year. The commission is due topublish its initial report on the dividend by April2008.

Germany

Analogue switchoff is well underway in Ger-many, where regions have been switching ever

16 Volume 36 Number 1 Marchi April 2008

since Berlin was the first to take the plunge inAugust 2003. In most places switchover hasbeen quite swift, with analogue and digitalbroadcasting rarely coexisting for more thannine months. Switch over is due to be com-pleted by 2010, but could happen much earlier,probably this year.

In terms of the digital dividend, the situation isless clear. In early 2006, the regulator BNetzApublished a paper describing the opportunitiesfor using the digital dividend frequencies forpurposes other than broadcasting: broadband,wireless access and multimedia services. How-ever, the country's broadcasters were stronglyopposed to the proposals, and since then nodecisions have been taken.

Sweden and Finland

Further north in Sweden and Finland, thingslook much simpler. Sweden completed theswitchoff of its analogue terrestrial TV platformin October last year, well ahead of the planneddate of February 2008. The last cities to switchoff analogue services included Malmo, Hels-ingborg, Horby, Karlshamn and Karlskrona, inthe Skane region of Sweden, along the south-ern tip of the country. The task was completed

www.iicom.org

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when the transmissions from public broad-caster SVT's two public channels and the com-mercial broadcaster TV4 were finally switchedoff at 4pm on 15 October 2007, completing aswitch off programme which began with Got-land in September 2005.

The Swedish government has also decidedwhat it wants to do with the dividend. It is free-ing up the higher bands - 790 to 862M Hz - fornon-broadcast services, and using the remain-ing UHF space between 470 and 790MHz toaccommodate six broadcasting multiplexes,as opposed to the five now in existence acrossthe whole spectrum, thanks to the efficienciesof digital broadcasting over analogue. Anothermultiplex is also being created in the VHF bandfrom 174 to 230M Hz. The task of planning andorganising the reordering and release of thespectrum has been given to the National Postsand Telecom Agency (PTS).

Finland moved into an all-digital world at 4amon 1 September 2007. Switchover had origi-nally been planned for 31 August, but TV chan-nels wanted to show that day's programmingin its entirety before the transmitters were shutdown. The vast majority of households thatreceive broadcasts through an antenna nowneed a digital receiver, a set-top box, or anintegrated digital TV to view them.

As for the digital dividend, part of it is beingused to launch a new multiplex (multiplex E- see table) with seven new digital pay TVchannels. These include Discovery Chan-nel, Eurosport, Channel Four Finland pay TV,MTV3 Fakta. Music Television MTV. Nickel-

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odeon and SVT Europa. Multiplex E will firstbe available in the southern and central part ofFinland, prior to its extension to other parts ofthe country.

Decisions about what to do with the rest ofthe digital dividend, a job for the Ministry ofTransport and Communications along with theregulator Ficora, have not yet been taken. Pub-lic broadcaster YLE has said in the past thatone multiplex should be allocated to mobileTV using the DVB-H standard and three mul-tiplexes should be allocated to HO on andstandard digital TV.

Netherlands

The other places where analogue TV has beenturned off are Luxembourg and 1he Nether-lands. In the Netherlands, analogue TV wasswitched off during the night of 10-11 Decem-ber 2006, making the Netherlands the firstcountry in the world to complete digital switcho-ver on its terrestrial platform. Within a three-hour period, analogue transmissions were shutoff while on services were put back on the air.The transmission of services from the nationaland regional public service broadcasters con-tinued throughout the switchoff process. Giventhe domination of the Dutch TV market by thecable platform, less than five per cent of thepopulation was affected by analogue switchoffon the terrestrial platform. And probably for thesame reason, the government has not yet real-located the airwaves.

Overall, it is going to be difficult for the Euro-pean Commission to hurry the DO process.

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