Russian threat means Europe is looking at military usage for digital terrestrial TV frequency band. A move that would threaten not just TV, but also wireless communications and potential future mobile network usage.
- Military use of TV frequency band being considered.
- Would reduce frequencies available for current digital terrestrial TV service and new IP-based TV services.
- Could affect plans by mobile network operators to eventually launch 5G services in the n71 frequency band in the late 2030s.
Decisions made at last year’s World Radiocommunications Conference in Dubai (WRC-2023) initially secured the future use of UHF frequencies for digital terrestrial TV, known in the UK as ‘Freeview’ and in the Republic of Ireland as ‘Saorview’. The frequencies are also used for Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE), for example to connect wireless microphones at concerts.
Now new trouble is looming: Reports from German website teltarif.de confirm the existence of political draft papers confirming proposals to reallocate up to five UHF channels for military use in Germany.
This could create a domino effect on frequency allocations in neighbouring countries, to avoid military and non-military services interfering with each other.
The proposals state “A permanent and therefore unlimited use of radio devices in basic operation with the full bandwidth for military radio applications is required. The NATO frequency band between 225-400 MHz does not allow any further development here. Larger exercises are therefore no longer possible today, so the area in the TV-UHF band would mean a considerable relief.”
The German Army wants to claim UHF channels in the 470-510 MHz range, plus at least one channel in the 510-608 MHz range. A further two channels are required in the 614-694 MHz (n71) frequency range.
How would what’s happening on the continent affect us?
Due to the way frequencies are internationally co-ordinated, whatever is permitted in Germany would have a knock-on effect on frequencies available in neighbouring countries. In turn, that could have further effect on the UK, particularly in the south-east, where interference-free frequencies for TV are in short supply and carefully co-ordinated with authorities on the continent.
At the moment, it’s unknown whether other military users across Europe and indeed in the UK have requested similar access to the UHF frequencies. It’s unusual for any such requests to make it in the public domain.
The German proposals have come into the open as the military would need to claim secondary rights over the spectrum. Cultural users (TV, PMSE) have primary rights over the frequency band.
What’s the problem?
The nature of military usage would restrict the number of frequencies available not only for digital terrestrial TV services. There are fears this would hinder the development of 5G Broadcast (IP-based TV via a terrestrial network) and also end hopes by mobile network operators to use the 600MHz band for mobile broadband services from the late 2030s, when current agreements to protect UHF frequencies for TV expire.
Event organisers are also concerned that this would create problems for PMSE users.
While there’s acknowledgement that the threat from Russia may lead to a situation where military forces across Europe get absolute control over frequencies and can transmit where they see fit, military use of frequencies designated for cultural/media usage in peacetime is rejected.
Save Our Spectrum, a lobbying group based in Luxembourg, which heavily campaigned for the preservation of TV and PMSE frequencies across Europe in the run up to last year’s WRC-23 conference, has rejected the plans. It told teltarif:
“Five channels for the military – that’s not possible. There are no reliable studies on compatibility with the existing users of broadcasting and culture/science/schools, etc. The possibilities for further development of broadcasting in the direction of 5G broadcasting are limited if five channels from the spectrum that is actually primarily available are missing in reality at any given time. Coordination with all PMSE users (= culture, wireless microphones) will not be possible, the tools for that are lacking.
Unlimited use by the military would be discriminatory against other users. It would also prevent ongoing consideration of the actual military frequency requirements and prevent flexible and demand-oriented frequency planning.”
UK broadcasters are pushing toward a mid-2035 terrestrial TV switch-off in favour of a streaming-only future. They’ve shown little or no interest in maintaining terrestrial TV in any form beyond this date, citing costs. However, over on the continent, broadcasters are looking at 5G Broadcast as a way of migrating to streaming while maintaining much of the current terrestrial transmitter network to deliver that service. In the long term, 5G Broadcast would use the 470-608 MHz band, if the 608+ MHz band (n71) was re-farmed for mobile use.
By: Marc Thornham