The owners of the nation-wide public safety radio networks in Sweden, Norway and Finland have sent a jointly prepared White Paper to the Radio Spectrum Committee, emphasizing the importance of dedicated frequencies in the 700 MHz band for emergency communications. The Radio Spectrum Committee assists the European Commission and works to ensure harmonised conditions across Europe for the availability and efficient use of radio spectrum.
Currently, the public safety radio networks in the Nordic countries use the TETRA technology for emergency communications. TETRA operates in the 380-400 MHz range and is considered good for voice communication. However, it fails to meet the needs of PPDR organisations today, in the face of increasingly more complex challenges.
The 700 MHz band has so far been allocated for broadcasting purposes, but the frequencies will eventually be allocated for broadband communications in the Nordic countries. In their White Paper, the public safety radio networks in Sweden, Norway and Finland advise allocating part of the 700 MHz band for use by PPDR organisations. Without dedicated frequencies, the next generation emergency communications systems will have to be built exclusively on commercial operators’ networks.