WRITTEN QUESTION E-2306/01

by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (ELDR) to the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Subject: IEEE 802.11a standard for wireless networks

Wireless networks for computers and other devices are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in companies because recabling when they move premises is expensive and because there are increasing numbers of mobile workers.

In the United States products are being developed to the IEEE 802.11a standard for wireless networks. This is a technology that provides very high speed wireless links between PCs. At the moment the IEEE 802.11b standard is being used in Europe. This technology is slower and interferes with Bluetooth. In the near future most mobile telephones will be fitted with Bluetooth. Wireless networks will operate extremely slowly if a mobile telephone fitted with Bluetooth is in the vicinity. The changeover to IEEE 802.11a is therefore imminent. Unfortunately, the frequency for this standard is not available for general use in Europe. Consequently, ETSI is working on its own standard HiperLan2. However, because of the small market, this makes IEEE 802.11a cards more expensive (perhaps three times as expensive) as in The United States, and it will therefore be introduced slowly.

1. Is the Commission aware of the anticipated developments in the area of wireless networks?

2. Is the Commission aware that the IEEE 802.11a bandwidth is reserved for military purposes in Europe?

3. If so, is the Commission planning to bring about any changes in this area? Or is the Commission going to allow Europe to lag further behind the United States in the ICT field by imposing protectionist requirements on wireless LANs?

4. Does the Commission agree that the expenditure that would have to be made in the defence sector should not outweigh the economic advantages of 802.11a?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 2001)

The Commission is aware of the various types of equipment for wireless networks and the technological developments in this area.

In the Community, spectrum for wireless local area networks (LANs) is available in the 2,4 Gigaherz (GHz) Industrial Scientific and Medical frequency band and in the less congested 5 GHz band, which is also used by some military applications, however not on an exclusive basis. A common allocation in the latter band is being recommended by the European Radiocommunications Committee (ERC) of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), where radio regulators of the Community and other European states confer. This allocation is however not legally binding upon Member States in the absence of Community instruments. Its application is currently incomplete. A proposal for a Parliament and Council Decision on a regulatory framework for radio spectrum policy in the Community(1) has been presented by the Commission and should soon be subject to second reading in Parliament. This Decision will enable to assess at Community level the use of radio spectrum

where required for Community policies, to harmonise such use in the Community, in particular through mandates to CEPT, and make such harmonisation legally binding upon Member States. The question raised by the Honourable Member shows the urgent need to put in place such type of mechanism.

The 2,4 GHz band is very popular, as it is one of the few bands that is reasonably harmonised globally. For this reason, Bluetooth is planning to operate in this band together with many other applications, including wireless LANs following the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b standard but also microwave ovens and identification systems. In the Community this band is harmonised with the exception of France, where part of the band is used for military applications. Because of its popularity it is however also increasingly congested, thereby making it progressively less attractive for wireless LANs.

The 5 GHz band, both in Europe and in the United States, is to be shared with feeder links for satellite services and some radar applications. It is true to say that some Member States originally intended to reserve the 5 GHz band exclusively for products conforming to the European Telecommunications Standardization Institute (ETSI) Hiperlan standard. Directive 1999/5/EC, of the Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity(2), however ensures fair and equitable market access for all products which meet its requirements. Such requirements are technology independent and, among others, ensure that equipment does not cause interference to other users of the radio frequency spectrum. The Commission has, in the context of the procedures obliging Member States to notify technical regulations, objected to such restrictions as not complying with the EC Treaty, Directive 1999/5/EC and with obligations of the Community in the context of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Member States have accepted these arguments and the Commission is not aware that products complying with the IEEE 802.11a standard operating in this band have been barred access to national markets and spectrum in Member States that implemented the recommendation from the ERC.

Products conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standards thus will be able to operate in spectrum allocated for wireless local area networks under the same conditions as products conforming to the ETSI or other standards. As the usage of spectrum in Europe is slightly different from that of the United States, conditions may vary between Europe and the United States. There are no indications however that these differences (notably linked to power levels) will have an impact on the market potential in the Community for any type of equipment compliant to IEEE 802.11 standards.

In order to facilitate the implementation of Directive 1999/5/EC, the Commission has mandated ETSI to develop standards, compliance with which will ensure that products meet the requirements of the Directive and thus can properly share the spectrum in these bands. It is understood that manufacturers of IEEE 802.11 compliant products are already contributing to the drafting of these standards to ensure their compatibility with that technology. It is true that developing such standards would be facilitated if there was no need to take account of other users of the spectrum, e.g. military applications. It seems however, that sharing with these other applications is technically possible without excessive extra cost for wireless LAN products. Hence, it does not seem necessary to consider removing applications from the defence sector from the 5 GHz band.

(1) OJ C 365 E, 19.12.2000.

(2) OJ L 91, 7.4.1999.