WiMAX Forum Supports European Commission's 2.6 GHz Harmonization

The WiMAX Forum congratulated the European Commission on the completion of new regulation relating to the 2.6 GHz (2500-2690MHz) frequency band, which are key bands for Mobile WiMAX.




The 2.6 GHz decision* was unanimously supported in the European Commission's Radio Spectrum Committee, and it affords European Union administrations to make decisions in relation to the technology, services and usage that can be deployed within the band. It also offers administrations flexibility over the balance of paired (FDD) and unpaired (TDD) spectrum that can be awarded to operators, and provides the essential technical framework. The intention is that the market can decide which technology to deploy in this band, determine the most appropriate use of this spectrum, and create significant opportunities through opening the spectrum which will benefit all consumers.


"The 2.6 GHz decision is the result of many months of work by the European Commission, supported by the CEPT Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) and its project teams," said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMAX Forum. "The WiMAX Forum Regulatory Working Group - and its European Regional Task Group in particular - contributed extensively to support and encourage this work via participation in the relevant ECC activities. The WiMAX Forum is excited to see additional progress being made in Europe to further empower the individual governing bodies to make decisions on telecommunications service availability for its citizens."


The WiMAX Forum noted that this decision was made in addition to the recently published European Commission Decision 2008/411/EC harmonizing the 3.5 GHz band for electronic communications services and represents a key milestone in the drive to advance new liberalized approaches to spectrum management within the European Commission WAPECS ("Wireless Access Policy for Electronic Communications Services") initiative.http://www.wimaxforum.orghttp://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/radio_spectrum/index_en.htm