Digital Dividend in Austria
The Digital Dividend, a product of digitalisation and convergence in the communications sector, denotes those frequencies that are freed up as a result of the switchover from analogue TV to more spectrally efficient digital TV. The digital dividend spectrum is suitable for a wide range of potential uses. The political decision of if and how this valuable freed up spectrum is used for mobile communication (e.g. broadband internet) and/or for broadcasting (e.g. HDTV) is heavily debated worldwide.
Michael Latzer (IPMZ, University of Zurich) is part of an international research group that investigates the options for using the Digital Dividend in Austria. Other members are Arne Boernsen (AB Consulting), Tim Braulke (Infront Consulting & Management) and Joern Kruse (Helmut-Schmidt University, Hamburg). The study is commissioned by the Austrian regulator RTR and assesses different usage scenarios and develops policy recommendations for this highly contended issue.
The research report has been published by the Austrian regulator RTR. The responsible Austrian minister has announced that she will follow the study’s recommendations and award the available spectrum for broadband mobile communication.