EU approves release of 700MHz frequency band to promote 5G development

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The European Parliament recently passed a plan requiring all EU member states to release the 700MHz band for wireless broadband services by June 30, 2020, thereby providing faster mobile broadband. By then, if there are legitimate reasons, it can be delayed for up to two years, such as failure to resolve coordination issues with neighboring non-EU countries, or more time is needed to reallocate the frequency band spectrum for broadcasting services.

Currently, the 700MHz frequency band (694MHz~790MHz) is widely used for digital TV signals and wireless microphone services. It can easily penetrate buildings and walls and cover a wider range than higher frequency bands in areas with less infrastructure.

The EU hopes that the 700MHz frequency band allocation plan can promote the launch of the next generation 5G mobile technology, which will play a huge supporting role in driverless cars, telemedicine, and billions of IoT devices. Gunnar Hokmárko, a member of the European Parliament who pushed the policy to be approved, said that 5G will change our economic logic and that only by effectively utilizing the existing frequency bands can 5G technology be successfully launched in Europe. The plan to release the 700MHz frequency band is the first step, and it is also a very important step.