EU Blanket Coverage of Mobile Broadband

Interesting news just in regarding the EU’s plans to enable and standardise Mobile signal/reception. From the Silicon Republic one of Ireland’s leading technology news resource comes this summary.

As most European Union member States aim to switch radio and television from analog to digital by 2012, the European Commission (EC) is proposing that the freed-up radio spectrum is used for a pan-European mobile-broadband network that could mean lower-cost international voice and data charges.

The proposal, which is being presented today by the EC, is specifically seeking to use the 790 to 862 megahertz range across the board which could potentially standardise mobile-broadband comms across Europe making VoIP (voice over internet protocol) more viable and widespread.

The EC also estimates that reserving this spectrum and thus standardising mobile broadband could have economic benefits to the tune of $50 billion over the next 15 years if all member states come on board.

While this would potentially bring broadband connectivity to rural parts of European countries with little or no coverage, the fear is not all EU member states will have made the big switch from analog to digital by 2012 in order to free up the spectrum.

For countries with blanket broadband coverage, this recommendation, if adopted, could introduce competition and lower prices.

Perhaps one the most interesting replies I have found is from UK Political party who’s stronghold seems to be comprised of ‘Trago Mills‘ and for anyone who is not familiar with this ‘family establishment’ I do heartily recommend a visit, its kind of like an ironic look at a life everyone else in this country has gratefully left behind, it has to be perhaps one of the strangest places in the entire world. OK, so UKIP is the party I’m on about and they made a few interesting points regarding the EU plans which of course do effect us being the UK a member state. There opinion of course is slightly biased towards the issue of mobile broadband

So here it is. In its own words some good points made however.

The European Empire is targeting mobile phone companies again, this time proposing the harmonisation of mobile broadband frequencies to allow easier roaming and a wider reception from mobile phone masts.

Now, I don’t have a problem with the suggested harmonisation per se and I would welcome – as I’m sure most people would – improved reception for mobile phones. But this will cost mobile phone companies millions, perhaps billions of pounds and it is the customer that will pay in the long run. And I have yet to figure out what harmonisation of mobile broadband frequencies has to do with a common market.

We’ve already had the one size fits all enforced price cuts on roaming charges which benefit only a tiny minority of English people as we spend much less time in EU countries than people on the continent do and the cost of that has been passed on to customers in the form of longer contracts and higher costs for extras.

Mobile phone companies will no doubt be all for a harmonised mobile phone system across the continent because it will be cheaper to maintain and administer and ultimately increase the opportunity to make money out of more people but they will want to do it on their own terms and more importantly, as a company with shareholders, they’ll want to make money out of it. EU interference will force mobile phone companies to adopt a solution they might not want at a time the EU dictates and on terms the EU decides.