Comreg Annual Conference 2008 - "Digital Dividend"

The Cush

Comreg is starting its review of the UHF Spectrum which will be freed up following the switchover to DTT (aka "The Digital Dividend") at its Annual Conference on Wednesday, 1st October 2008 in the Conrad Hotel, Dublin.
The theme for its Annual Conference this year is How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend

Annual Conference 2008
ComReg will host its Annual Conference on Wednesday, 1st October 2008 in the Conrad Hotel, Dublin. The theme for this year’s conference is How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend.

The conference will focus on the development of ComReg’s strategy on Digital Dividend so that Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend. Following the publication on 15 May 2007 of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007, the migration of Ireland’s terrestrial television broadcasting services, from analogue to more spectrum efficient digital formats, has commenced. When the migration process is complete and analogue services have been switched off, which is expected to occur in 2012, there is likely be a valuable spectrum surplus. This spectrum surplus is commonly referred to as Digital Dividend spectrum. ComReg’s strategy for Digital Dividend spectrum will require a deeper understanding of the potential benefits that the uses of this spectrum can bring to our economy, our society and the communications industry, in general. ComReg proposes to hold a public consultation in the final quarter of 2008 on its Digital Dividend Strategy.
The Conference will be addressed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Eamon Ryan TD. In addition to attracting many notable speakers from the industry, ComReg has commissioned A Consultancy Firm to prepare a report on How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend and a précis will feature at the Conference.

The conference will be facilitated by Ms Miriam O’Callaghan, a prominent presenter of current affairs programmes on Irish television.

Comreg launched a tender process in May for Consultation advice on Digital Dividend Strategy, the winning tender's requirements were

To enter into a contract (commencing on 31 July 2008) for the provision consultancy advice for the Commission for Communications Regulation (hereafter referred to as ComReg) on a suitable approach to its Digital Dividend strategy. It is intended that the consultants will produce a report, based on experience of other countries, which have begun implementing Digital Dividend, and an overview of Digital Dividend strategies adopted there to ensure that consumers will benefit from the future release of Digital Dividend spectrum. Further, the report will be published at ComReg's Annual Conference, which will take place in Dublin on the 01 October 2008. The consultants will also prepare and deliver a presentation(s) at the Annual Conference. Subsequent to the Annual Conference, consultants will contribute to a consultation process, to be undertaken by ComReg, which will review potential approaches for Ireland’s Digital Dividend Strategy in a national context.

Comreg's Position on the Digital Dividend was published in the Spectrum Management Strategy Statement 2008 - 2010 in July

5.3.1 ComReg’s Position on the Digital Dividend
Analogue terrestrial television is an important platform that reflects the democratic, social and cultural values of Irish society and media pluralism in Ireland. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) technology provides a more efficient use of spectrum than the traditional analogue service. Replicating the current analogue TV broadcasting services on an equivalent digital platform requires less spectrum, resulting in a surplus of spectrum used for the for the provision of terrestrial broadcasting and it is this potential surplus that is known as the ‘Digital Dividend’. Digital dividend spectrum could be utilised for non-broadcasting services increasing competition and giving consumer’s additional choice. Digital Dividend spectrum can also be used for new broadcasting services adding further to the democratic, social and cultural values already offered by the current analogue terrestrial television platform.

Across Europe, there has been significant debate about the potential benefits to the broadcasting and wireless communications industry that can be derived from the Digital Dividend. In November 2007, the EC launched a paper30 which concluded that the full benefits of the digital dividend can only be realised with the support and active cooperation of Member States and all stakeholders, and if a common approach is adopted to spectrum planning. It is clear that, not only in Ireland but throughout Europe, utilising the Digital Dividend is an important issue with significant policy implications both for broadcasting as well as the development of electronic communications. The decision on spectrum use following analogue switch off will involve national policy and ComReg’s strategies, including for example the licensing of mobile multimedia services, will need to take this into full regard.

As the roll-out of DTT begins in Ireland later this year the spectrum requirements for digital broadcasting will become clearer once all the requirements laid out in the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007 [31] (and as restated in Broadcasting Bill 2008 [32]) have been fulfilled.

In order to advance the debate on this important issue in Ireland, ComReg has set aside its National Conference [33] in October of this year to focus on the Digital Dividend. As a consequence of that conference, ComReg will prepare a public consultation document later this year on its proposed strategy for Digital Dividend.

[30] Reaping the full benefits of the digital dividend in Europe: A common approach to the use of the spectrum released by the digital switchover
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/radio_spectrum/docs/ref_docs/com/com_dd_en.pdf
[31] Broadcasting (Amendment) Act of 2007, number 15 of 2007.
[32] Broadcasting Bill, 2008 [Number 29a of 2008]
[33] ‘How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend’ on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 in The
Ballroom, The Conrad Hotel, Dublin.

From the Irish Times, Friday, September 26, 2008

ComReg starts 'digital dividend' debate

JOHN COLLINS

THE COMMUNICATIONS regulator ComReg will next week attempt to kickstart a national debate on how the radio spectrum freed up by the move to digital television can best be used.

The so-called "digital dividend" occurs because digital technology makes more efficient use of the UHF spectrum. RTÉ recently concluded trials of a digital terrestrial television service and Boxer DTT, a consortium that includes Denis O'Brien's Communicorp group and Swedish digital TV operator Boxer, were awarded the licence to operate the service.

Although the Minister for Communications has not announced a date for when analogue broadcasts will cease and the digital dividend will kick in, it is expected to be in 2012 to keep the Republic in sync with TV viewers north of the Border.

While similar digital switchovers have happened before, eg when mobiles switched from analogue to the digital GSM system in the late 1990s, the UHF spectrum that will become available is extremely attractive for telcos and other service providers.

Because it is in the sub-1GHz space, the signals travel further from a single transmitter and its propagation properties mean the radio waves go further into buildings, says George Merrigan, ComReg's director of market frameworks. "It's a really sexy spectrum." Although he cautions that the digital dividend is not a "silver bullet" for Ireland's broadband availability issues, the spectrum can be used to deliver high speed wireless broadband in areas where laying copper is not economical. Other potential uses include mobile mutlimedia applications, city Wi-Fi networks, enhanced public services and low power networks in the home.

"We need to start planning for when we will get access to this spectrum, where it is and what we will use it for," says Merrigan.

To begin the debate, ComReg has organised a forum, How Ireland Can Best Benefit from its Digital Dividend, which will take place at the Conrad Hotel Wednesday, October 1st. Speakers include Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan, European Commission information society commissioner Viviane Reding, RTÉ director general Cathal Goan and Philip Rutnam of British regulator OfCom.

© 2008 The Irish Times

The UK in its Digital Dividend Review (DDR), Ofcom expects to clear 14 UHF channels (to sell-off to the highest bidders) for mobile, wireless broadband, HDTV etc.
At WRC07 the frequency band 790-862 MHz (Channels 61 – 69) was co-allocated to mobile use from 17 June 2015.

I assume Ireland will follow the UK's lead and clear the upper part of the UHF band for other uses incl. mobile.
The conference presentations should appear on Comreg's Conference Presentation section following the conference.

The Cush

Comreg Annual Conference Presentations "How Ireland can best benefit from its digital dividend" (Dublin, 1 October 2008)
CP50a - How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend - Presentation by Cathal Goan, RTE
CP50b - How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend - Presentation by Robert Pepper, Cisco
CP50c - How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend - Presentation by Philip Rutnam, Ofcom
CP50d - How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend - Presentation by Europe Economics
CP50e - How Ireland can best benefit from its Digital Dividend - Consultancy Report by Europe Economics
The digital dividend: A unique opportunity for Europe's wireless economy - Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media
Joint communiqué from Commissioner Viviane Reding and Minister Eamon Ryan, Ireland will work with EU on digital advance

Comreg are due to launch a Digital Dividend Strategy consultation this quarter following their Annual Conference on the "Digital Dividend".

The strategy will no doubt be influenced by the ongoing discussions within the EU - COM(2007)700 Reaping the full benefits of the digital dividend in Europe: A common approach to the use of the spectrum released by the digital switchover, an EU Commission - Study on "Exploiting the Digital Dividend", a European Approach - following on from COM(2007)700 was tendered for recently.
Also within the EU thru the RSPG, the RSC in conjunction with the ERO/CEPT, and the EBU are also involved with different aspects of the Digital Dividend.
This may lead to an EU Directive on a common approach to the spectrum freed up by Analogue Switchover.

The organisations representing the mobile companies are anxious to get their hands on this freed up spectrum - gsm world and the UMTS-Forum
The ITU's WRC07 co-allocated UHF channels 61-69 (790-862 MHz) to mobile use from 17 June 2015.

The UK is well into the process with its Digital Dividend Review (DDR)
The USA's Digital Dividend (700 MHz auction) which ended in Mar raised $19.592 billon.