The European Commission said July 14 that it has decided to make two additional frequency bands available for Wi-Fi access across all 25 countries of the European Union.

The particularly frequencies are in the bands between 5150-MHz and 5350-MHz and between 5470-MHz and 5725-MHz. The member states have been given up until Oct. 31, 2005, to implement the decision, which includes the use of so-called intelligent techniques to protect other radio spectrum users, such as military radar and satellite services, from interference.

High-speed electronic communication networks are essential to Europes competitiveness.

The decision is part of Europes i2010 initiative, a five-year plan to boost the digital economy in order to foster economic growth and create jobs in Europe.