Decoding the EU's Digital Networks Act

In this episode of the PolicyTracker Spectrum Podcast, Dr. Williams Webb joins reporter Carlos Jijon in a conversation about ISAC, a technological system that would fuse together sensing and communication. Webb' latest book, Beyond Communications - Can ISAC Provide a Rationale for 6G? , explores the potential of ISAC, as well as its many drawbacks. The applications of ISAC are numerous: everything from defence and autonomous vehicles to monitoring vulnerable people in hospitals. For Webb, it is one of the only concepts that could make 6G networks truly impactful for society, since they’re expected to have the ability to sense their surroundings. At the same time, however, the potential of a platform that unites sensing and communications is overshadowed by obstacles that include high costs and serious privacy concerns for consumers.Read more about spectrum policy on PolicyTracker.

With the new Digital Networks Act and progress being made towards 6G and satellite services, what does the future hold for spectrum auctions?In this podcast, Richard Marsden, Managing Director at NERA Economic Consulting, speaks to PolicyTracker journalist Camilla Mina about what auctions will look like in a few years.Since 1999, Marsden has worked on advising buyers or sellers on format designs and bid strategy in more than a 100 auctions in 30 different countries. More on the subject is available through our ⁠spectrum research service.

Direct-to-device (D2D) is the hot topic in the world of satellite regulation today. In areas without terrestrial coverage, a handset could connect to a Leo satellite directly to send messages and make calls - with companies such as Starlink and Amazon Leo launching hundreds of satellites to develop this service. PolicyTracker Journalist Cameron Hill speaks to European Commission Spectrum Manager, Dominic Hayes, about the EU's counter-proposal: Iris². Promising a secure and sovereign network for governmental services facilitated through satellite - can Iris² be an alternative for Europe? More on the subject is available through our spectrum research service.

The EU Parliament and Council are currently discussing the Commission's Digital Network Act. It's a proposal for some significant changes to the European telco market and its spectrum governance. PolicyTracker's news editor, Laura Sear, speaks to Amit Nagpal, partner at Aetha Consulting, about the draft act. They discuss the details and possible impact of some key proposals, including perpetual licences, a Commission-led auction scrutiny board, EU-wide satellite licences, and the overhaul of spectrum policy advisory bodies. More on the subject in our EU Spectrum Policy Dossier.

PolicyTracker journalists Cameron Hill and Laura Sear discuss the three most pressing and controversial issues in the long run-up to WRC-27. They tackle unauthorised satellite transmissions, new IMT bands and the topic of MSS in IMT bands - as well as introducing WRC-27 and explaining its processes.

PolicyTracker journalist Camilla Mina speaks to Logan Scott, independent consultant and expert in Position, Navigation and Timing about GNSS interferences and its current challenges. They discuss jamming and spoofing but also interferences from other services and ways to mitigate them.

PolicyTracker journalist Richard Haas speaks to Cameron Hill, the lead author of a new white paper by SignalTracker which considers how the performance of MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) differs from their parent networks.They explore the performance differences between MVNOs and their parent networks, uncovering insights into download speeds, reliability, and the value proposition for consumers.

The "Big Beautiful Bill", which sets out the budget for the US government and various other policies, was signed into law on July 4th. It mandates the FCC to auction 800 MHz of spectrum and has sparked concerns within the Wi-Fi industry due to the lack of explicit protections for Wi-Fi.PolicyTracker Journalist Richard Haas speaks to Wi-Fi Alliance CEO Kevin Robinson about its impact and potential risk to the Wi-Fi industry.

We speak to Raquel Renno Nunes, who's a Programme Officer for Human Rights' advocacy group Article 19, and has been monitoring ITU discussions.

PolicyTracker journalist Richard Haas speaks to 3GPP veteran Howard Benn about how the body works and how it intersects with spectrum policymaking.See more information about our upcoming training courses ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.