Participants came from national ministries responsible for spectrum policy and national regulatory bodies for electronic communications. They shared information on their plans to make such spectrum available for use in the EU by the agreed deadlines of the end of June (for the 700 MHz band) & December 2020 (for the 3.4 - 3.8 GHz and 26 GHz bands) and on initiatives to combat misinformation concerning 5G services.
Participants noted that the majority of public authorities responsible for spectrum award procedures anticipated either no, or only minimal, delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in regard to ongoing 5G spectrum awards.
Participants also noted the ongoing concerns of some communities related to perceptions of the dangers of exposure to electromagnetic fields, many of which appear to result from the publication of incorrect and unreliable information, often on social media. Participants agreed that the solution to such misinformation was to implement effective national public information campaigns to ensure access to factually correct and reliable information and data. Participants made information available on their handling of those issues in their member states that can serve as best practices. To this end, participants welcomed as well the information provided by the European Commission that had helped augment the national information campaigns already underway, and supported proposals for BEREC and the RSPG to issue joint guidance in future.
Participants also stressed that another important element in countering unjustified concerns was to enhance citizens’ access to publicly available information regarding the location of 5G infrastructure and the actual power, as measured by national authorities, of the levels of associated emissions. This information would help reassure citizens by showing how these measurements compare to internationally and EU-recommended electromagnetic radiation limits.
The Commission and the Member States will continue to monitor the ongoing award procedures and to facilitate the exchange of best practices through both the RSPG and BEREC, with a view to a further discussion of progress at the beginning of 2021.