Ericsson and Qualcomm commissioned Plum to provide an assessment of the economic benefits of using 1.4 GHz spectrum for a mobile data downlink (the report is available here). In October 2012 the CEPT decided to allow use of the band for mobile, drawing on the Plum economic study and other technical work (the decision is available here and a copy of the draft report is available here). Given the permitted transmission power and propagation characteristics of 1.4 GHz spectrum, the available 40 MHz would more than double the mobile download capacity of the digital dividend spectrum being released in the 800 MHz band.

The relevant spectrum at 1.4 GHz is available across much of the world, see below, and global interest in using it for mobile data is growing rapidly.  For example, the Australian Government has consulted on use of 1.4 GHz spectrum for mobile broadband.  It is possible that we will see harmonized use of the band for mobile across European countries from 2013 and fully from 2015.