On Monday, July 27 the Council of Ministers of the European Union agreed to open up a portion of the spectrum for the new generation of mobile devices. This approval was the last step required in a process of spectrum reform that already had the backing of the European Parliament and Commission. In October of 2009, the 900-MHz band, which had been limited to use by traditional GSM (global system for mobile communications) phones will be open to newer technologies such as phones with Internet access. EU telecom commissioner Viviane Reding noted, “This reform will remove constraints on operators so that they can employ new technology in the GSM bands to develop high speed mobile broadband services.” An updated Radio Spectrum Directive will be signed by the Presidents of the European Parliament and Council of Ministers in September and then will be published in the EU’s Official Journal. At the same time the Commission will adopt a Decision, which will enter into force on the same day as the updated Directive, setting out the technical measures allowing for the co-existence of GSM (2G mobile phones) and 3G or 4G UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications) systems on GSM frequencies in line with the Directive.See the press release on the EU website.
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