08 Mar 2018

ECC makes progress on 5G spectrum

The Electronics Communications Committee (ECC), which develops electronic communications policies at the European level, has said that it has "made much progress" on 5G spectrum during its 47th Plenary meeting.

The meeting took place in Lisbon from 27 February to 2 March 2018, also saw ECC make decisions on a number of other spectrum issues covering IoT/M2M applications, spectrum for drones, and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

Regarding 5G, the ECC has approved a set of draft deliverables for public consultation, and these provide the harmonised technical conditions for Mobile/Fixed Communications Networks (MFCN) in the 3.4-3.8 GHz and 24.25-27.5 GHz bands, as 5G pioneer bands.

It adds that while the meeting’s attendees reached agreement on most of the elements under consideration, the ECC is seeking views from the CEPT administrations and interested stakeholders on a few specific items during the public consultation, which ends 6 April 2018. This will support the ECC in completing the regulatory framework for 5G in these two bands at its next meeting in July 2018.

The ECC has also approved the draft CEPT reports for public consultation, which were produced in response to the EC Mandate on 5G in the 3.5 and 26 GHz bands, along with a draft report that focuses on the role that satellites can play within the future 5G ecosystem.