Press Release: European Commission wants airwaves freed-up by move to digital TV to work for swift economic recovery

As digital TV replaces our 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. On 28 October 2009 the Commission set out plans for a coordinated distribution of spectrum that encourages investment and competition in these potential new services. If 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 plan for the realisation of the digital dividend's full potential involves the European Parliament and EU countries, reflecting the major part they have to play.

European Commission: MEMO/09/482: EU Digital Dividend proposals: European Commission wants airwaves freed-up by move to digital TV to work for swift recovery – Frequently Asked Questions http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/482&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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