Belgium’s telecoms regulator, the Belgian Institute for Post and Telecommunications (BIPT), has begun a public consultation to assess interest in using the 26GHz band for 5G services.
Interested parties have until 31 May to offer views on using the 26GHz band, proposals for migrating its current users and a future regulatory framework for the spectrum. The BIPT believes it possible to assign six blocks of 200MHz without migrating the band’s existing users, while a further ten blocks would be available once the spectrum is vacated. European Union member states are required to authorise the use of at least 1GHz of the 26GHz band by 31 December 2020 in order to facilitate the rollout of 5G, subject to demand and the absence of significant issues migrating existing users. The 26GHz band is currently home to 850 two-way radio links, with blocks awarded to Telenet and Orange Belgium.