The development of services such as broadband data, emergency communications and mobile TV will be made more smoothly throughout Europe, starting in 2009, due to the adoption of a proposal by The European Commission regarding how such systems are selected. If adopted by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Telecom Ministers, the innovative services selection mechanism ensures there is but a single, not 27, markets for mobile satellite services.
The problem surrounding the current process, according to The European Commission’s website, is that exiting international rules for satellite communications do not cover licensing. Under current EU Telecom rules, operator selection is a national task. This leads to diverging national approaches to selection and authorization. The growth of pan-European mobile satellite services is, therefore, impeded. Apparently there is strong stakeholder and member state support for this proposal for EU-wide coordination, as satellites know no borders. With consistent national authorizations throughout Europe, significant economies of scale should result.
The Commission will publish an open call for applications if, and when, the new mechanism is adopted. Technical and commercial quality will be asked for each candidate, with further criteria to include geographic coverage, consumer and competitive benefits, fulfillment of public policy objectives, and spectrum efficiency. Those candidates who are selected will be nationally authorized.
The same selection and authorization of services will be followed by all 27 EU member states. Operator uncertainty should be reduced and the creation of EU-wide services will be accelerated. There is still a lengthy and cumbersome review process to go through… in fact, the Commission will consider further improvements in their review of the EU telecom rules. The target date for completing the EU selection process is early 2009. At this website, http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=3554, you may view the entire Commission proposal—Brussels, Belgium, August 23, 2007
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