As digital TV replaces old analogue TV, four-fifths of the airwaves that used to carry TV broadcasts to our homes will be freed up. This means that they can be used for new, innovative services that use radio spectrum, from wireless internet and more advanced mobile phones to new interactive and high-definition TV channels. Remote regions could be big winners from this as wireless broadband could use the new spectrum to deliver high-speed internet to areas not yet reached by landlines. The allocation of the newly freed airwaves – the "digital dividend" – to new services is coordinated across Europe it could give the economy a boost of €20 to €50 billion.

The digital dividend proposals adopted by the Commission has asked EU Member States to speed up the switch-off of analogue TV and to complete it by 1 January 2012. Five countries (Finland, Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Sweden) and the US have already shown that analogue switch-off can be done quickly.

The proposals also seek to realise the potential €20 to 50 billion economic impact of effective European coordination of the digital dividend (over 15 years compared to EU countries acting alone). To do this, they set out how one part of the freed-up spectrum can be set aside to support the emergence of new wireless services such as 3G and 4G mobile phone services  that allow video streaming, full web browsing and fast downloads on a mobile handset. This will contribute to achieving the target of high-speed broadband coverage of 100% of the EU population by the end of 2013

The Commission also proposed to address, with the European Parliament and the Council, strategic objectives like the pace of opening the digital dividend to uses other than high-power broadcasting, agreeing a common European position in negotiations with neighbouring countries on the digital dividend spectrum, and the possibility to agree future EU targets for using more efficient technologies in the digital dividend

In the first half of 2010, the Commission will seek the European Parliament's and Council's support on the roadmap, and further debate with existing and potential users of the spectrum on longer term issues before finalising proposals.

Background

In 2007, the Commission proposed to make it easier for mobile operators in Europe to offer and develop innovative wireless technologies. This followed its Communication on speeding up the digital switchover identifying the digital dividend as a priority for spectrum policy.