In Europe, 80 million households (43%) watch TV via the lower UHF spectrum. Annually, millions of European events, plays, festivals and concerts use this spectrum band. Broadcasters and the creative industry call on policymakers to ‘Save Our Spectrum’ so that European culture can flourish.
Europe has an affordable, energy-efficient, resource-friendly and sovereign mass transmission technology with terrestrial broadcasting via the lower UHF spectrum (470 – 694 MHz). It is resilient in the case of man-made or natural catastrophes. With war at our doorsteps, Europe must protect its spectrum for content distribution.
Information, entertainment and education content must remain available as wraparound basic services for all Europeans. Without access to spectrum, terrestrial broadcasting via DVB-T2 won’t be possible anymore and broadcasting via 5G-Broadcast won’t happen.
Artists and Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) producing news gathering, theatrical productions and special events such as culture, concert and sport events, conferences and trade fairs with their microphones, in-ear systems and talkback systems also depend on these frequencies. Due to interferences, other frequency ranges can only be used to a very limited extent or not at all.
Europe must stand by its consensus to guarantee an inclusive and innovative single market for its people, for its culture and for its industry. This is now threatened by international discussions leading to the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023.
Therefore, from all over Europe, we call on decisionmakers to protect the existing UHF spectrum allocation, Save Our Spectrum!
