Norway watchdog tells mobile operators to prevent DTT interference

Norwegian regulator PT has opened a consultation and said that it recommends that mobile broadband operators form an organisation to protect digital terrestrial TV viewers from signal interference. It said the DTT network using the 470-790 MHz frequency band may require protection from interference from mobile broadband services that will use the neighbouring 790-862 MHz frequencies. PT proposes that mobile firms should set up a joint organisation to disclose and resolve any interference. They must bear the costs themselves and are required to set up an information website for viewers as well as a customer care phone line and e-mail service. The organisation must respond to requests to identify the causes of any interference and carry out viewer surveys free of charge. If genuine interference is established, then the operator must take steps to reduce the problem at no cost to the viewer. Until the problem has been investigated and resolved, any base stations that could be causing interference must be switched off. It is up to the spectrum licence holders to bear the costs of preventing the interference. The consultation is open to anyone and the deadline for responses is the 29 January 2012. As for interference from mobile broadband end user devices, PT is not setting any requirements beyond those proposed by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) concerning the digital dividend in 2009.
Source: Telecompaper
Item added: 19th December 2011