EC plans wireless broadband for all

The EC has outlined its plans to bring wireless broadband to the entirety of Europe using the space cleared by the closure of the analogue TV service.

According to an article over on V3.co.uk, the European Commission is looking to offer the radio frequency spectrum freed up by the closure of Europe's analogue TV service to "innovative providers of technology services," which it hopes will help the European Union meet its target of offering broadband coverage to all citizens by 2013.

As well as offering high-speed Internet connectivity to all, the EC believes that use of the freed spectrum will generate between £18 billion and £45 billion for the European economy - figures that are certainly not to be sniffed at as many countries are still limping out of recession.

In order to fully free the important part of the spectrum - the range between 790MHz and 862MHz, which offers both improved penetration of buildings and excellent range when compared to higher wavelengths - the EU commissioner for information society and media Viviane Reding is encouraging all EU member nations to pick up the pace with the digital TV roll-out and complete the transition to digital TV by the start of 2012.

With the technology already in place to offer a stable 12Mb/s connection wirelessly - as Nokia has proven with its Long Term Evolution project - re-use of the old TV spectrum in this manner could finally bring affordable broadband to those in rural areas not covered by cable or ADSL providers.

Do you believe that the EU's plan to offer wireless broadband to all is a great use of the analogue TV spectrum, or would you rather they simply increased the availability of ADSL? Share your thoughts over in the forums.