POLICIES :: eCommunications :: Managing radio spectrum
Managing and monitoring the radio spectrum
The allocation and management of radio spectrum in Europe is administered by national regulatory authorities. But these authorities must work within the harmonised framework that is established through international and European policy initiatives.
There are three essential roles in radio spectrum management:
- Planning radio spectrum allocation
- Establishing technical conditions for radio spectrum usage, and
- Assigning radio spectrum to users
European radio spectrum policy, working with national authorities and international regulatory bodies, sets the framework and boundaries for the ‘how, what and when’ of spectrum management in Europe. This ensures that radio spectrum use is coordinated nationally, regionally and globally and that its regulation is appropriate and relevant to today’s technical and societal challenges and demands.
Allocating and assigning spectrum
The planning and physical assignment of radio spectrum to users is the responsibility of Member States via their appropriate national authorities. These processes are also subject to the constraints of EU laws on the single market, and international radio spectrum agreements.
For planning purposes, spectrum is divided into bands and channels that have varying size and bandwidth. In general, lower frequency bands have smaller bandwidth capacity than higher frequency bands. This means that higher frequency bands can carry more information. In contrast, lower frequency bands have longer range. These types of characteristics determine the suitability of frequency ranges for particular services.
How the spectrum is partitioned between the different uses (allocation) and how and to whom licences are given for the use of channels or blocks of spectrum (assignment) are organised and managed by the national governments and their relevant agencies. The processes used, including the use of competitive tendering for licences, are also decided by national governments.
Management information
The European Commission regularly checks the status of national implementation of agreed European initiatives by requesting detailed information on frequency allocations. Supply of this information by Member States is a clear legal obligation. The information collected by the Commission is made publicly available for the proper information of stakeholders.