German Armed Forces want to experiment with the TV UHF band - countries protest

The German Armed Forces will use frequencies in the TV UHF band (470 – 694 MHz) and has already been allocated frequencies for test purposes by the Federal Network Agency. In a letter to Chief Regulator Klaus Müller, the coordinator of the Broadcasting Commission of the federal states, Heike Raab (SPD), criticizes the regulatory authority for rushing ahead on its own authority.

There had been agreement "that the question of military co-use of the TV UHF band is not ready for a decision", emphasizes the Rhineland-Palatinate State Secretary for Media in the incendiary letter available online at heise. She and her state colleagues were therefore "very irritated" that the regulator had informed them at the beginning of July about the recent "experimental allocation of two channels in the channel range 21 [-] 25 for the Bundeswehr at 24 locations throughout Germany".

Cultural frequencies in high demand

The "cultural frequencies" are currently allocated primarily for the terrestrial digital transmission of linear television programs (DVB-T2) and the operation of local radio links as part of professional event technology. According to the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), this should remain the case for the time being. In its coalition agreement, the "Ampel" coalition agreed to secure the UHF band permanently for culture and broadcasting.

Even before the recent WRC in Dubai, the German government wanted to keep part of this spectrum free for the Bundeswehr, for example. The network agency's approach "not only contradicts the political agreements made", Raab now complains. There are also errors in the chosen procedure: The Telecommunications Act (TKG) requires the competent state authority to be involved in such an allocation.

In addition, the regulator did not apply the administrative regulation for broadcasting correctly, complains Raab. For example, the representatives of the event industry were not seriously involved, although this was required to "protect the legitimate expectations of existing frequency allocation holders". Thus, "a transparent, objective and serious evaluation of possible interference, which is to be investigated within the framework of an experimental radio allocation, is not possible". The experimental radio allocations are therefore unlawful.

Regulator admits mistakes

In its reply to Raab dated 1 August, which is circulating in Berlin circles and is also available to heise online, the Federal Network Agency regrets that "due to a misinterpretation of the telecommunications regulations", it had "already issued the corresponding permits for the planned transmissions" to the Bundeswehr. The armed forces had therefore been asked to "refrain from the planned transmissions until the federal states have had the opportunity to participate as provided for by law".

Regarding a possible use of frequencies by the Bundeswehr "for the use of existing NATO equipment", the Federal Network Agency emphasizes that broadcasting on the DVB-T2 frequencies "does not cover the entire area". The unoccupied areas (white spaces) could potentially be of use to the army. To do so, it would have to be proven that the Bundeswehr neither interferes with broadcasting nor "impairs production technology too much".

The Bundeswehr claims at least 40 MHz of the UHF band according to controversial proposals for the Conference of Minister-Presidents. The former chair of the conference, the state chancellery of Lower Saxony, told heise online that it was not aware of any such proposal and that it was not on the agenda. The current Hessian presidency did not respond to a query on the subject within two weeks.

(vbr)