Will the next RSPP maintain Europe’s commitment to spectrum for PPDR?

We recently reported that a consensus is emerging across all ITUThe International Telecommunication U… regions that the way to deal with this is through “soft harmonisation” – the harmonisation of technical conditions but without a mandatory element.

Effectively, it would be up to national administrations to find the amount and type of spectrum appropriate for their own PPDR needs. These needs are likely to vary significantly between states; some currently assign as much as 2 x 20 MHz for PPDR while others assign 2 x 5 MHz.

But at a recent workshop on WRC-15, there were signs of frustration with Europe’s status quo. Harold Linke, manager of software & ICT at engineering firm HITEC Luxembourg, read out a statement on behalf of Public Safety Communication Europe (PSCE) that said a niche market like PPDR requires the removal of spectrum fragmentation for investment and the maintenance of stability.

The statement pointed out that the EU Council’s “law enforcement working parties” have unanimously called for harmonised frequencies in the 700 MHz band. These are intergovernmental bodies helping police to fight serious and organised crime, in part by raising awareness of new technology.

As well as supporting an amendment of the Radio Regulations at WRC-15 to take bands that are newly available for PPDR into account, the statement also called for the European Commission to “consider a 700 MHz measure for PPDR”. It claimed this would complement the EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, which obliges the Commission to ensure there is “sufficient” and “harmonised” spectrum that can be used for PPDR.

In his response, the European Commission’s head of spectrum Andreas Geiss said that some EU member states were indicating that they valued flexibility in managing the band – and that the Commission would have to take these views into account when considering the use of the band for PPDR. Nevertheless, he reassured Linke that Brussels would be ready to work towards a coordinated solution at EU level.

As Europe’s institutions continue their work on the next RSPP, it will be interesting to see whether its provision for PPDR is reinforced – or abandoned altogether.

Toby Youell, PolicyTracker

23/4/2015