700 MHz band plans in Europe

Plum evaluated alternative harmonised band plans, 2×40 MHz versus 2×30 MHz, for the 700 MHz band for the ITU-R Region 1.  The study looks at the economic issues to inform the GSMA regarding the best candidate from these two band plans.  The study focusses on the costs and benefits from an operator perspective as well as from an overall economic welfare perspective (counting costs and benefits excluding the cost of spectrum).

Plum undertook econometrics to estimate the differences in spectrum value between the band plans to estimate spectrum value.  Avoided cost modelling was used to estimate the effect of the band plan of network cost.  Handset costs were also modelled for both band plans.  The focus was on impacts in Europe.