Regulatory authority authorises use of UMTS frequencies for LTE, pushing broadband expansion Press release dated 12 August 2015 In its meeting on 10 August 2015 the regulatory authority decided to reallocate existing frequency usage rights in the 2.1 GHz range. From now on these frequency bands may also be used for LTE (4G).Benefit for end users: more spectrum available for LTE services“All mobile network operators benefit from a liberalisation of the 2.1 GHz frequency range. This reallocation allows them to use a larger share of their existing frequency spectra than before to provide broadband services via LTE. That in turn benefits end users,” Johannes Gungl, CEO of RTR’s Telecommunications and Postal Services Division, stated as the background of the regulatory authority’s decision. “As a technology for supplying broadband services, LTE is clearly much better suited than GSM or UMTS. An example is the higher upload and download speeds, which allow larger data volumes to be transferred faster,” Gungl pointed out.Liberalising frequency usage rights promotes competitionFrom the standpoint of competition, reallocating UMTS frequency usage rights as soon as possible was necessary to promote competition within the LTE broadband sector. The positive economic effects triggered by the regulatory authority’s decision include more capacity for broadband services, more coverage spectrum to supply rural areas with broadband and sustained cost savings due to higher technical efficiency.