Packing my suitcase for the first time in quite a while to head off to Brussels and the 17th European Spectrum Conference. We have been meeting virtually, of course, but there is an extra frisson of excitement in the prospect of some old-fashioned face to face chat and lively discussions over a glass or two of wine.
I’ll be moderating the kick off session on ‘A new Radio Spectrum Policy Programme for 5G and beyond’, where we will be discussing the overall aims and priorities for the new RSPP, ten years after the current one was introduced. We’ll have views from the Commission, Member States, industry and vendors, and hopefully lots of opinions and questions from the audience (both real and virtual). Given the seismic changes of the past few years, I’m also keen to focus on the way that spectrum policy is increasingly at the very heart of wider European policies such as the European Gigabit Society, the European Green Deal and Europe’s digital decade.
On the second day we look even further into the future, when I’ll be moderating a session on 6G: how, and how quickly, the technology is developing, what bands are being anticipated around the world and whether ‘traditional’ policies around spectrum regulation will need to be torn up. It promises to be a fascinating discussion with insights from leading regulators, vendors and the satellite community.