Key European S-Band Ruling Expected This Spring
March 26, 2007, Space News

One of the issues to be addressed by the European Commission this spring is the allocation of the S-band spectrum in Europe, reports Space News. Will the issue gain approval in Brussels, or will each European nation reserve its right to allocating the spectrum, as they currently do, possibly delaying the existing business plans of industrial groups that are already bidding for the S-band?

"Each nation decides how to split the spectrum and the number of players to be admitted," said Rolf Olofsson, co-head of the Telecommunications, Media and Technology Practice at White & Case in Brussels. "The European Commission is expected to issue a proposal by late spring to try to harmonize the 2-gigahertz [S-band] frequencies," he said. He added that that would require the approval of the European council of ministers.

However, Olofsson noted that there is some sign that the European Commission may be successful in harmonizing the assignment.