It is fair to assume that this formal recognition comes as result of the work done by the user groups such as the Law Enforcement Working Party to highlight and demonstrate this coming problem. Neither to be forgotten is the work of industry and other user and trade associations in contributing to the consultations in the preparatory phase.

Furthermore, the proposal specifically suggests that harmonized spectrum below 1?GHz should be secured for the purpose, together with international circulation rules for the radio terminals.

Identifying candidates

The next task for the PMR community should be to see that MEPs agree the proposal in a form which meets users’ needs, and further that the national radio administrations and their ministries forming the Council meeting will do the same. A common understanding between the Member States and the Commission over the mechanism to be applied in the harmonization will be essential to avoid unnecessary disputes over who might have the privilege or obligation of leading the work. 

The process in the Parliament and in the Council will last for some months and then we may hope to see an approved version of the programme, including language that will direct the future spectrum work to a more formally defined path.

Having an agreed policy programme in place does not, however, require that a frequency band has already been identified. Finding a band within spectrum that is actually all used by somebody will still remain as an interesting exercise. 

It is possible to see that initial steps are already taken towards identifying potential candidates, this time from the Commission side. The EC made recently a proposal to the Radio Spectrum Committee to arrange a high-level workshop “of Members States and the Commission”, inviting all national bodies with security tasks to jointly produce guidance for the further work, and it is understood that the proposal was endorsed by the Member States in the Committee. Thus in the near future we might see public safety users marching into a workshop together with the Commission, and perhaps coming back smiling. 

Life beyond public safety

The above all relates to radio spectrum for the public safety services. Yet at the same time, we know that other PMR user segments are struggling with their radio channel planning. Critical infrastructures such as energy distribution, public transport, airports, harbours and industry are facing spectrum congestion. Why then does the public safety community get it its voice heard in spectrum regulation when so little mention is made of other PMR user segments and their capacity requirements?

The reasons likely are many, but one visible differentiator is the way people are organized in each segment. Public safety users, especially law enforcement people, have centralized national organizations – and through co-operation at a European level these have established a mechanism to formulate a common position supported by all others and to deliver that to the political level. Their radio networks are also the biggest. Other PMR user segments do not enjoy similar benefits. 

Nevertheless, when it comes to radio spectrum availability, the PMR community ought to remember to take care of the needs of all market segments. We cannot allow ourselves to drift – for example, into a situation where the spectrum needs of one segment would be served by causing damage to the operations of some other segment.

In the current PPDR discussion, this means that if and when some part of PPDR communication expands to frequencies above 400 MHz, the move should not jeopardize the growth potential of other PMR systems. Their future, too, should be secured by appropriate regulation measures.