Wireless Access Policy for Electronic Communications Services
Wireless Access Policy for Electronic Communications Services ( WAPECS ) is the EC guideline for wireless electronic communications services and their frequency assignments by the respective national authorities (in preparation, i.e. not yet decided).
problem
To date, frequencies are awarded by the relevant national authorities (in Germany by the Federal Network Agency ) according to aspects of use, technology, regional coverage or the price offered. As a result, frequency shortages have arisen in the past for EU-wide regulation (cf. Official Journal of the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Post 8/2005 of May 4, 2005, p. 790; hearing on the availability of frequencies for UMTS and IMT2000).
target
WAPECS is intended to create an EU-wide framework that allows frequencies to be awarded independently of technology and services, taking into account the previous awards. The aim is to largely reduce or make the requirements of the regulatory authorities more flexible. Thus, on the one hand, previously unused frequencies can be used and, on the other hand, the frequency allocation can be better adapted to the speed of technical progress.
content
The initiative is led by the RSPG ( Radio Spectrum Policy Group ), the European Commission's advisory committee on frequency policy issues . This met on February 21, 2006 for a workshop in Brussels. The background was the position published by the (RSPG) in November 2005. The aim of this workshop was to lead the discussion between the RSPG, the industry, the regulatory authorities and the Commission. Recommendations should be drawn up for the future work of the EU Commission and the national regulatory authorities with regard to frequency regulation. A necessity for WAPECS exists, for example, in the currently emerging convergence of the most varied of services ( triple play ) that use the platform and services of the most varied of technologies and frequency bands.
The WAPECS concept provides free access to the frequencies, which is no longer based on previous cataloging, as the various technologies and services are increasingly converging . Instead, the guidelines of the ITU ( International Telecommunication Union ) should be applied more closely . A transition period of at least 10 years is planned.