BIT Experience anticipates what will be the second digital dividend

Leading experts debate at BIT Experience about one of the hottest topics in the sector: the impact of digital spectrum management for broadcasting and telecommunications uses.

Luis Sahún (SES), Miguel Ángel García Argüelles (FENITEL), José Manuel Villar (Villar Arregui Abogados), Alfonso Morales, vice president of Telemadrid representing the Association of Communication Users have participated in a round table in BIT Experience moderated by consultant Eladio Gutiérrez and which has addressed one of the hottest topics in the sector: the impact of digital spectrum management for broadcasting and telecommunications uses. The countries of the Union have agreed to reallocate the 700 MHz frequency band (694-790 MHz) to wireless broadband services from 2020, reserving the 470-694 MHz band for broadcasting at least until 2030.

However, telcos continue to claim spectrum to increase services in contrast to the interests of traditional broadcasters.

Luis Sahún has framed "the second digital dividend within the European Digital Agenda 2020, which marks one of its objectives as promoting competition between platforms. It is about bringing all digital services to all homes and with the highest quality."

Morales has recalled that “we must look back and learn from what happened in the first digital dividend” and has demanded that if broadcasters must change bands, it should be with clear and fair rules. “I trust that the Administration will provide clear guidelines in the liberalization of the second dividend,” he stressed.

García Argüelles has pointed out that the decision on UHF by the European Union in reference to the use of the 470-790 Mhz band has been balanced. "DTT is a key platform for the development of the European audiovisual industry. It is the leading platform with 250 million who consume it and 80% of European content," he commented. In the Spanish case, of the 233 minutes of average consumption per viewer (in 2016), 93% correspond to DTT channels. “The contribution of the cultural and creative industries of which free-to-air television is a main element represents between 5.9 and 6.9% of the GDP and over 4% of employment,” he highlighted.

On the other hand, the manager of FENITEL has stated that this federation wishes to actively participate along with the rest of the members of Televisión Abierta and AMETIC in the design of the roadmap for the second digital dividend. The objective is that this second dividend is carried out in a non-disruptive manner and with the necessary planning, certainty, legal security and deadlines necessary for all the agents involved and with the maximum consensus.

BIT Experience está organizado por IFEMA y Comunicare Digital, con Panorama Audiovisual como main media partner, y el patrocinio de Aicox, Etiqmedia, Harmonic, SES y Sony (diamante); Akamai, Aspera, Cellnex, Hispasat, Intinor, Riedel, Rohde&Schwarz y TMediaT (oro); Axión, Ebantic, Tedial, VHD y VSN (plata).

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