Press Release: Commission asks Bulgaria to apply EU rules making radio spectrum available for devices that help senior citizens – hearing aids and social alarms

The European Commission started on 28 January 2010 legal action against Bulgaria and called on it to make sure the technical requirements are in place for hearing aids, social alarms and emergency buttons at home, for old and disabled people. Bulgaria has not followed EU rules saying the 169 MHz frequency band should be made available to applications of social value and electronic services such as asset tracking and paging systems. EU rules aim at harmonising use of this radio spectrum band in the EU to facilitate the development and take-up of such applications. Bulgaria should have complied with the Commission Decision on this band by 1 January 2007 and to an update of these rules by 31 October 2008.

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