Whitespace coalition launches European campaign

The computer and electronics giants which persuaded the US to open up licence-exempt spectrum “white spaces” for cognitive radio are now calling on European nations to follow suit. However, officials say regulatory, technical and economic issues must be ironed out first. 

Read more here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/whitespace-coalition-launches-european-campaign

Lower house rejects Obama’s switchover delay plan

New US President Barrack Obama’s attempt to delay the switchover from analogue to digital television from February 17 to June 12 was derailed yesterday when the proposal failed to get the necessary two thirds majority in the House of Representatives. 

Read more here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/lower-house-rejects-obama2019s-switchover-delay-plan

India: state telcos push ahead with 3G as auctions delays continue

Continuing our survey of 3G licensing in Asia, having considered the approach in China yesterday, today we look at India. In India delays to the auction process mean state owned telcos are pushing ahead of the commercial sector. 

Read more here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/india-state-telcos-push-ahead-with-3g-as-auctions-delays-continue

The article on 3G in China is here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/world2019s-biggest-mobile-market-rejects-technology-neutrality

World’s biggest mobile market rejects technology neutrality Hong Kong: high prices for LTE but WiMAX spectrum unsold

China is finally issuing 3G licences but these are for specific technologies, including the home grown TD-SCDMA standard. 

Read the article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/world2019s-biggest-mobile-market-rejects-technology-neutrality

Hong Kong: high prices for LTE but WiMAX spectrum unsoldHong Kong: high prices for LTE but WiMAX spectrum unsold

The Hong Kong 2.6 GHz auction has closed with what's being described as a "victory for the LTE camp".

Read the article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/hong-kong-high-prices-for-lte-but-wimax-spectrum-unsold

Early bird discount for spectrum management training course expires Jan 31

Dear Mr. updater,

I wanted to let you know that the early bird discount for the Understanding Modern Spectrum Management training course expires at the end of this month. It is being held at Merton College, Oxford, UK on 30 March - 3 April 2009 and features Professor Martin Cave from the UK and Professor Gerard Pogorel from France. Ofcom's head of research and development, Professor William Webb will also be teaching on the course.

If you book before the end of the month you can save £250. Until January 31 attending the course costs £2495 +VAT (including board and accommodation) but after this date the fee is £2745 + VAT. The last time the course ran it was over-subscribed so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Understanding Modern Spectrum Management will give a thorough grounding in the technical fundamentals of spectrum management, as well as assessing the latest economic and policy arguments. Full details of the course aims and contents are available at our website but I wanted to underline a few brief points

• Feedback on the course has been outstanding - "One of the best I have attended" said one participant. "Superb, in depth but still understandable," said another attendee.
  
  
• An opportunity to debate best practice with like-minded professionals: The training will be lively and interactive with plenty of debate and discussion. There is also a programme of social events including a reception and a formal dinner in the delightful surroundings of one of Britain's oldest universities. So the course is also a chance to network and exchange views with colleagues from around the world.
  
  
• Compared to other courses, this is extremely good value Similar five day residential courses can cost £700 more and don't include accommodation. The delegate fee for Understanding Modern Spectrum Management is even more competitive if you take out a PolicyTracker subscription at the same time.
  

For further information please feel free to email me or call our booking hotline on +44 (0)20 7100 2875. If you do not wish to receive further marketing emails please reply to this message putting "unsubscribe" in the subject line or write to the address below

Regards

 

Martin Sims
POLICY TRACKER 
+44 (0)20 7100 2875

*******************************************************************************************
PT Publishing Limited, Sunnyhill House, 3-7 Sunnyhill Rd, SW16 2UG, London, UK.
Registered in England No. 5081138 at 24 Chasefield Road, SW17 8LN.
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Digital dividend harmonisation gathers momentum

Four European countries have confirmed that they will be allocating 790-862 to non-broadcast services; three more nations could well follow suit. 

Read the article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/digital-dividend-harmonisation-gathers-momentum

New wireless technology promises fibre speeds for up to one kilometre

A European project developing mm wave photonics says it can deliver speeds of 10Gb/s at 60GHz for last mile services as well as home networks that can support high definition television. 

Read the article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/new-wireless-technology-promises-fibre-speeds-for-up-to-one-kilometre

Understanding Modern Spectrum Management training course

30 March - 3 April 2009; Merton College, Oxford, UK

https://www.policytracker.com/training/understanding-modern-spectrum-management

Early bird discount expires on 31 January!

UK defence ministry publishes final plan for spectrum release

The UK military’s final strategy for trading or releasing spectrum holds few surprises but could offer great promise, industry representatives say. 

Read the article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/uk-defence-ministry-publishes-final-plan-for-spectrum-release

Public Sector Spectrum conference, 21-22 April, Brussels

Dear Mr. updater,

This is a very important time for public sector spectrum management: increasing demand from commercial users means the public sector is under increasing pressure to use frequency resources more efficiently. Furthermore the growing popularity of spectrum liberalisation raises the question of whether (or how) this can be applied to public spectrum users. EU regulators in the Radio Spectrum Policy Group have been studying this issue with a view to making recommendations.

Meanwhile the military and the emergency services need to build broadband networks. The PolicyTracker Public Sector Spectrum conference will examine the latest thinking on how these conflicting pressures should be resolved. The full agenda is available here.

Speakers include:

• Ales Brabinek, European Commission*
• Professor Martin Cave, Warwick University,
• UK Jean-Yves Montford, ANFR, France
• Peter Anker, Dutch economics ministry
• Jeppe Jepsen, Motorola and PSC-Europe

There is more information about the conference on our website. Up to March 13 the delegate fee for this two day conference is only £595 for PolicyTracker subscribers, who can pay online here.

For more information about marketing and sponsorship opportunities please contact my colleague Becky Brennan on +44 (0)20 7183 0187 or becky.brennan@policytracker.com

For further information please feel free to email me or call our booking hotline on +44 (0)20 7100 2875. If you do not wish to receive further marketing emails please reply to this message putting "unsubscribe" in the subject line or write to the address below

Regards

 

Martin Sims
POLICY TRACKER 
+44 (0)20 7100 2875

*******************************************************************************************
PT Publishing Limited, Sunnyhill House, 3-7 Sunnyhill Rd, SW16 2UG, London, UK.
Registered in England No. 5081138 at 24 Chasefield Road, SW17 8LN.
*******************************************************************************************

* Invited speaker

 

US lines up against France and Germany over 4G

A two-year ‘sprint’ to get WiMAX and CDMA variants admitted into the IMT-Advanced family begins in February. The US is pushing for quick adoption but France and Germany say the variants should be treated as new interfaces.

Read the article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/us-lines-up-against-france-and-germany-over-4g

Strong bidding on first day of Hong Kong 4G auction

The Hong Kong Office of the Telecommunications Authority (Ofta) launched the territory's first 4G auction today (Mon Jan 12) and after five rounds bidding had reached HK$489 million (US$63 million). Meanwhile the French Prime Minister has announced a timetable for auctioning the fourth 3G licence as well as the 2.6GHz and digital dividend sub-band.

Read the article here: https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/strong-bidding-on-first-day-

French digital dividend frequency release gets official approval

French Prime Minister François Fillon has confirmed that 790-862 MHz will be allocated to electronic communications following analogue switch-off. In practice this is expected to mean using the band for mobile broadband.

Read the article here:

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/french-digital-dividend-frequency-release-gets-official-approval

January 2009 printed issue available for download

In this month's issue we analyse the agreement reached over the EU
framework review package and assess its significance for spectrum
policy. We consider the next steps in getting the measure passed and
ask whether it is likely to be agreed within the lifetime of this
European Parliament.

Also in this issue we interrogate the latest debate about
interference from powerline communications; get reaction to the FCC's
delays on auctioning the AWS-3 band and look at the spectrum
implications of 3DTV.

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/january-2009-printed-issue-
available-for-download

Use of whitespace closer to becoming reality

Considerable progress was made in 2008 towards the use of interleaved
or white space spectrum between digital broadcasts in the UHF bands,
although broadcasters on both sides of the Atlantic continued to try
and block its use.

The key breakthrough was in the US, where the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) set an international precedent by allowing the white
space to be used for providing wireless broadband services once the
analogue broadcast signal is switched off in February 2009.

https://www.policytracker.com/headlines/use-of-whitespace-closer-to-
becoming-reality