1. Shared Use of Radio Spectrum in the EU
Commission Communication “Promoting the shared use of radio spectrum resources in the internal market” COM(2012) 478final
Roberto Viola, Deputy Director General
DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) European Commission

2. Policy Context
Maximising the socio-economic and environmental benefits that can be generated through the use of radio spectrum
Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP): “… to foster the collective use of spectrum as well as the shared use of spectrum”
Ensuring radio spectrum contributes to broadband targets
Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE): “… to ensure the coordinated allocation of the spectrum needed to meet the target of 100% coverage of 30 Mbps by 2020
Fostering wireless innovation in Europe
RSPP: “… to foster the development of current and new technologies, for example in cognitive radio, including those using white spaces".
Supporting sustainable growth in the internal market
The Europe 2020 Strategy sets environmental objectives for a sustainable, energy-efficient and competitive economy. Wireless technologies can play a key role in meeting these objectives

3. The objective of the Communication
Launching a debate at EU-level:
- Defining a common regulatory principle to foster different modes of spectrum sharing [BSO]
- Setting out a strategy to promote shared access to spectrum in the internal market [LSA or LE]
- Sending a clear signal to innovators that Europe supports advanced wireless technologies [CR, white spaces]
Creating market-based incentives for spectrum sharing in Europe!

4. Challenges to be addressed
Ensuring co-existence requires defining acceptable levels of interference and appropriate mitigation strategies.
Balancing impact and usage constraints for incumbents and additional users in terms sharing rules and costs.
Improving the reliability of sharing arrangements in licence-exempt bands requires congestion forecasts and transparent regulations .
Enabling users to share spectrum with regulatory guarantees based on individual licences (LSA approach).

5. Internal market terminology
Authorising shared spectrum access
means allowing two or more users to use the same frequency range under a defined sharing arrangement
can be done with general authorisations (LE) or licences (LSA)
provides users with shared spectrum access rights (SSAR)
Beneficial sharing opportunities (BSO)
exist in both licensed and licence-exempt frequency bands
If: net benefit of application A < (net benefit of application A+B+C …) - (cost of sharing).

6. Creating sharing incentives requires
Foster and improve the harmonised sharing arrangements in licence-exempt bands
&
Establish a common approach to licensed sharing (LSA) in the internal market, that:
Stimulates the identification and approval of BSOs
Provides the sharing parties with regulatory guarantees that justify the necessary investments
Establishes sharing contracts as legally binding sharing arrangements between all users of a band
Is based on individual licences for all users

7. The goal - a two pillar framework
Licensed sharing (LSA) based on
sharing agreements between users and individual authorisations
Regulatory guarantees
Access to new “white spaces” (beyond TV UHF bands)
Infrastructure synergies *
Licence-exempt (LE) sharing in bands already allocated for shared use
Wi-Fi
Internet of Things
M2M / Smart meter
Short range devices (SRD)
Wireless Innovation
*Already established in the internal market on the basis of the Radio Spectrum Decision with e.g. the 2006 Decision on the harmonisation of radio spectrum for use by short-range devices (SRDs).

8. Key steps forward 2013 RSPG Opinion on Licensed Shared Access
Establishing the BSO concept in the spectrum inventory
5th update of the SRD Decision (2006/771/EC)
Study on data traffic offloading for wireless broadband
Mandate to CEPT on Wi-Fi at 5 GHz
Public Consultation
2014
Commission Recommendation on wireless innovation
Harmonised Standards on interfaces between geo-location database (GLDB) and cognitive radio system (CRS)