700 MHz: Anatel begins the process of defining the digital dividend

The struggle between TV operators and telcos by the 700 MHz band has everything to become increasingly fierce. Anatel began to discuss a proposal for this year studies are carried out to define what will be done with this slice of spectrum.

It is a more accelerated than the government agency and adopted over the past year, despite repeated calls from the telephone, in particular, the furniture, the band - taken as a priority for the sector, interested in offering mobile broadband.

To heat up the debate on 700 MHz, the Anatel has recovered, at the request of the Ministry of Communications, a public consultation which created mold in the regulator since 2007, then a possible revision of the allocation of 746 MHz to 806 MHz used by TV retransmitting - the channels 60-69.

Throughout this period, although the agency has evaluated the possibility of allocating part of this band to fixed telephony and Internet services, eventually concluded to keep the spectrum as it is until 2016 - the target year for the full transition from analog to digital television.

On the one side, it makes sense not to change the track now, because the spectrum is greater hunger for mobile operators, but the SMP even made part of the possibilities of disposing of this piece of spectrum in the public consultation.

However, already in 2012 by proposing an indication of what will be done after the switch-off in 2016, the agency decides to treat just the digital dividend, ie radio frequencies that can be returned by television broadcasters due to the digitization of signals .

The proposal of the rapporteur, advisor Jarbas Valente - and chairman of Anatel spectrum - provides for the completion of studies "for completion by December 2012, aiming to define the future of spectrum," "considering digital TV and the global harmonization of applications use the track. "

The decision was postponed, probably for a week, by request of the counselor views Emilia Ribeiro. But as well summed up the advisor Marcelo Bechara, the proposal "indicates an important signaling and has put the debate in the 700 MHz band."