Montenegro must take public awareness measures to ensure that all citizens are adequately informed about health issues related to 5G network services and significant protection measures implemented by the state and mobile operators, concludes the Memorandum on 5G Network recently signed by the governments of all Western Balkan countries, including Montenegro, local media report.
The signatories believe that the super-fast 5G network, which will significantly increase the speed of the Internet, will bring great economic benefits to the countries implementing the project.
“In the event of an obvious shortage of spectrum, the Signatories will consider the best practice in the European Union and the achievement of the general objectives set in the European Code of Electronic Communications,” the Memorandum states.
All this practically means that Montenegro could very quickly determine the spectra for the 5G network, and some of the operators could implement them.
The signatory countries also undertook to take proportionate, appropriate and risk-based security measures for 5G networks and services, taking into account the European Union Risk Assessment from October 2019 and their 5G Network Security Tool published on 29 January 2020.
Montenegro has committed itself to implement the necessary framework that allows operators to reduce costs and increase the use of renewable resources in the development of the 5G network, but also to develop an action plan with an emphasis on promoting the circular economy and clean technologies.
“The Parties shall support the expansion of networks by providing a rapid, cost-oriented and accessible request for state aid in state-owned facilities or other transmission infrastructure owned by municipalities and public buildings, as well as efforts to simplify the process of issuing building permits. To this end, the EU Guidelines on the application of State aid rules regarding the rapid deployment of broadband networks should be taken into account,” the Memorandum states.
The memorandum envisages the protection of a sustainable investment environment, and Montenegro should provide “predictability to private network investors regarding the stability of favourable investment conditions” and ensure that the competitive environment remains unhindered by exposure to excessive or inappropriate regulatory risk.
Montenegro is obligaded to ensure that the competent authorities in each economy have the appropriate staff “in order to carry out the process of assessing and ensuring compliance with electromagnetic field (EMP) safety restrictions in accordance with EU best practice”.
