The digital dividend spectrum in Asia

Abstract

The introduction of the digital broadcasting with high spectral efficiency forced the analogue terrestrial broadcasting to be phased out. The efficient spectrum usage by the digital broadcasting creates a freed spectrum in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, which is called Digital Dividend Spectrum (DDS). In 2008, the European Communication Office (ERO) proposed the first frequency channel assignment (FCA) for mobile service operating in the DDS band for region 1. The second FCA was proposed by the Asian Pacific Telecommunity (APT) in 2010 for region 3. Because of the late submission of the APT FCA, some countries in region 3 follow the European FCA, the other the follows the APT FCA. Clearly, region 3 will not have a harmonized FAC, although the APT channel assignment approach is more favorable than European FAC. The study is conduced to review the non harmonized DDS issues in Asia. The study recommends the administration of region 3 to take a cooperative step in order to benefit maximally from the DDS.