The European Commission has proposed opening up the 700 MHz band to mobile services by mid-2020. The proposal to harmonise the schedule for release of the frequencies currently used for broadcasting is in line with the recommendations of an independent report commissioned by the EC and the resolutions adopted at the most recent World Radiocommunication Conference. The EC said this will ensure the spectrum is available under the same technical conditions across the EU in time for the launch of 5G services.
Under its proposal member states would need to adopt and make public by 30 June 2017 their plans for allocating the frequencies 694-790 MHz to the mobile market, in order to ensure the spectrum is available by 30 June 2020. Two countries, France and Germany, have already auctioned the 700 MHz band, while another four have outlined plans for releasing the spectrum in the next few years.
The EC's proposal also addresses the sub-700 MHz band of 470-694 MHz, known as the UHF band. This is currently used for digital terrestrial TV services and wireless microphones. Again, the EC has followed the recommendation of the Lamy report and proposes reserving these frequencies for their current use. The "long-term priority" for this band will be the distribution of audiovisual media services to the general public, but the EC has acknowledged that such broadcast services may be of less importance in some EU countries with limited use of DTT. As a result, each country can take a "flexible approach" to use alternative technologies in the sub-700 MHz band, limited to downlink-only transmission (i.e. from the network to receiving terminals such as TV sets or tablets).
The EC's proposal must still be approved by the European Parliament and EU Council before it can take effect.
Source: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/ec-proposes-opening-700-mhz-band-to-mobile-by-2020--1125924