BEREC has launched a public consultation seeking input on proposals to roll out common standards for measuring mobile network coverage across Europe.
Today, each national regulatory authority (NRA) has its own way of assessing coverage and providing that information to stakeholders; BEREC has instead called for a consistent approach across Europe.
The regulatory body has proposed European NRAs adopt the same technical standards as one another, basing their coverage estimations on signal prediction. BEREC has also proposed common practices for ensuring the accuracy of information provided to the public, and the availability and presentation of coverage information.
BEREC Chair Johannes Gungl said: “To enhance the outcome of this Common Position, we really want to hear the stakeholder’s opinion on the technical specifications and common thresholds for monitoring mobile coverage in Europe. Therefore, we kindly invite them to participate in the public consultation.”
The consultation is currently open, and interested parties have until 19 July to submit their responses. The consultation is part of a larger body of work being undertaken by BEREC aimed at facilitating the “fast and smooth” deployment of 5G in Europe.
Another piece of work published this week considers the impact of consolidation from four to three mobile operators, analysing the effects on prices caused by mergers in Austria, Ireland and Germany.
In short, the report found evidence of price increases for end users in all three countries, which could make NRAs less inclined to approve M&As in future.