EU Spectrum Reform to Promote Rural Broadband

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EU Spectrum Reform to Promote Rural Broadband

• Rural Areas as Engines for Implementing the
  Renewed Lisbon Strategy
• Brussels, Belgium, 29 November 2005
• Robert Horvitz
• Executive Director, STICHTING OPEN SPECTRUM
• Amsterdam/Prague

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• PROBLEM Limited availability of broadband
  access in remote, rural and sparsely populated
  areas
• CAUSE Commercial service providers find
  investment in local infrastructure too risky, the
  return too small

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• Solutions
• Reduce infrastructure costs by changing rules
  that keep costs higher than necessary
• Encourage noncommercial approaches to wireless
  networking

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Authorization Directive (2002)

• Article 5 Member States shall, where possible,
  in particular where the risk of harmful
  interference is negligible, not make the use of
  radio frequencies subject to the grant of
  individual rights of use
• Require licenses only when there is a
  significant risk of harmful interference.

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• License exempt radio equipment
• DECT, WiFi, some WiMax (RFID, UWB, etc.)
• Advantages
• Open standards, large volumes lower cost
• Cost of spectrum use rights zero
• Very rapid technological progress
• Disadvantages
• Low power limited range
• No regulator-enforced right of non-interference
• Some countries limit antenna choice
• additional limit on range

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Desirable Rule Changes

• Increase power output allowed for license exempt
  equipment in sparsely populated areas
• Allow more freedom in antenna design
• Exempt additional types of equipment from
  licensing when deployed in rural areas (e.g.
  WiMax)
• Let wireless data networks use empty VHF/UHF TV
  frequencies in rural areas

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Regional Radio Conference

• May-June 2006, convened by ITU
• To plan the future of analogue and digital
  broadcasting in Europe
• Appropriate venue to agree on WLAN use of empty
  channels in rural areas
• Digital Dividend for WLANs?

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Noncommercial Approaches

• At least 174 local community networks in Europe
• User-owned, not for profit, cooperative
• Volunteer labor, altruistic social motives
• Neighbor helping neighbor
• Knowledge, energy, experience

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To Do

• EU-wide conference on community networks and
  their potential contribution to reducing Europes
  Digital Divide
• E-Riders programme to facilitate transfer of
  knowledge and expertise from existing community
  networks to rural areas lacking such networks but
  which seek their help.

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To Do

• Encourage further use of structural funds to
  support community networks in rural areas
• Workshop on funding criteria and applications

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EU Spectrum Reform to Promote Rural Broadband

• Robert Horvitz
• STICHTING OPEN SPECTRUM
• Amsterdam/Prague
• bob_at_openspectrum.info
• http//www.openspectrum.info/