Much to the annoyance of Neelie Kroes, the EU’s digital chief, half of EU member states have requested to postpone the freeing up 800MHz spectrum for wireless broadband after having already missed the 1 January 2013 deadline originally agreed on.

Citing “exceptional circumstances”, 14 member states approached the European Commission to postpone the release of so-called digital dividend spectrum (vacated by TV broadcasters as they move from analogue to digital transmission).

The commission, reluctantly, agreed to nine of the requests.

“We have agreed to temporary and limited 800MHz derogations for nine countries,” said Kroes in statement. “This is a pragmatic and final concession. Every delay in releasing spectrum hurts our economy and frustrates citizens.”

For the EU’s digital chief, the failure to release of 800MHz on an EU-wide basis reinforces her argument for an industry shake-up.

“Spectrum reform,” she said, “will be a centrepiece of the commission’s September proposal for a single telecoms market.”

Kroes pointed out that one consequence of spectrum delays in individual countries is that phones, considered to be essential devices by citizens, are not fully functional in Europe. Phone manufacturers then leave out the appropriate radio chips needed to connect in Europe because not enough countries have licensed the same spectrum on time.

The countries successfully applying to the commission for a digital dividend extension are Spain, Cyprus, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Austria, Poland, Romania and Finland.

The commission refused derogations for Slovakia and Slovenia where the delays were deemed to be the organisation of the authorisation process rather than exceptional circumstances preventing the availability of the band.

Greece, Latvia and the Czech Republic, says the commission, require additional evaluation. Belgium and Estonia were late but have not asked for a derogation, while Bulgaria has notified the continued use of the band for public security and defence purposes.

So far, only eleven EU member states have announced that they have effectively allowed the use of the 800MHz band for wireless broadband communications.