DRAFT

COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND COAXIAL CABLE TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Workshop Overview

The European Commission (EC) and the European Cable Communications Association (ECCA), the trade association of cable operators invite you to participate in a workshop designed to involve all sectors of the industry together with administrations and representatives of sensitive radiocommunications services, likely to be affected by unwanted EM disturbances radiated from telecommunications networks utilising shielded coaxial cables. The objective of the workshop is to identify and if possible agree a course of action to maximise where possible the use of radio frequencies on such networks.

Radio frequencies are not only used by radiocommunication services, they are also used for industrial, scientific and medical applications, for SDL and power line communications and for shielded cable telecommunications networks, which are designed not to radiate excessively. This will help to avoid causing harmful disturbances to radiocommunication services operating in frequency bands allocated on a global basis by the ITU. They may however on occasions be unintentional radiators. There are also regional and national allocations to radiocommunication services. Such networks may provide downstream broadcasting and multimedia communications in the range 47 to 2500 MHz but typically with an upper limit of 862 MHz. Upstream telecommunications can take place in the band 5 to 87.5 MHz.

Within the European Economic Area such networks are classed as fixed installations under the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC. Article 4 of the Directive requires that EM disturbances generated do not exceed a level allowing radio and telecommunications equipment to operate as intended. It also requires a level of immunity. Article 6 allows Member States to take special measures to protect a specific site to overcome an EMC problem or to protect public telecommunications networks or receiving stations used for safety purposes. These special measures, if justified are published in the OJ. Article 7 presumes compliance with Article 4 if the network meets the protection requirements specified in a national standard which has been communicated to the Commission. Article 10 applies where no national standards exist; the manufacture/importer is then required to hold a ‘technical construction file’, which provides information on the measures taken to meet Article 4. Article 9 provides the measures that the Commission and Member States must take if Article 4 requirements are not met. The EMC Directive is in the course of revision within a SLIM working group.

Concerning the current version of the EMC Directive in the absence of harmonised standards for networks it would appear that Article 7 caters for national standards dealing with EMC matters. The question arises whether harmonised national limits at the CEPT level implemented via an ERC Decision could be construed as meeting the requirements of Article 7. Conversely in the draft revision of the Directive, Article 10 indicates that competent authorities may initiate an assessment. The issue arises as to what limits the network will be assessed.

Well-engineered cable relay systems and associated equipment are capable of providing a high level of immunity to RF emissions radiated from radiocommunication systems i.e. minimal ingress. Furthermore, unwanted radiation from cable systems together with appropriate frequency management techniques can reduce the possibility of harmful interference occurring to susceptible radiocommunication services. However there is always the possibility that problems might occur in the future due to human error, component failure or the poor performance of subscriber equipment connected to an operator’s cable relay network. It is therefore necessary to explore mechanisms to maximise the use of radio frequencies for both wired and on-air systems whilst making every effort to minimise potential sharing difficulties.

The ECCA supports all efforts to protect essential radiocommunication services, however before barring frequencies from cable relay networks it is believed that every technical and operational possibility for co-existence needs to be explored before the implementation of any restrictive policy. Interference from and to cable relay systems and the consequential regulatory action may significantly reduce the economic value of the cable industry

Furthermore, the European Commission has identified a need for regulation to favour and encourage both competition between operators as well as the competitiveness in general of European industry. Another important consideration is that regulation should be technology neutral.

Shielded cable networks are an important means to achieve effective competition in the European telecommunications environment; to maximise the capability of these networks requires that the availability of frequencies should also be maximised. ECCA also believes that a European solution should be found to these issues.

ECCA has been working within the EC’s SLIM process and CEPT PT SE35 to develop an appropriate regime to regulate and maximise the use of frequencies and to establish measurement methods and limits of unwanted emissions. ECCA has also been working on an industry code of practice to ensure that all shielded cable systems are of an appropriate standard and can be certified accordingly.

This workshop jointly hosted by ECCA and the European will, where possible, discuss and agree a way forward and identify necessary actions, which may need to be considered within the various bodies.

WORKSHOP ON ACHIEVING COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND COAXIAL CABLE TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Draft Programme for Workshop to be convened on [9th or 23 November 2000]:

Workshop Chairman: Senior Official of CEPT ERC/ERO

09h10 / Welcome and introduction
Chairman
09h15 / Overview of the issues and ECCA’s proposals
Peter Kokken, Secretary General ECCA
09h30 / EC position on compatibility and relevance of EMC and R&TTE Directives
Representative of DG Enterprise
10h00 / CEPT SE ERC position on maximising frequency usage and protecting radiocommunication services
Bernard Despres France Telecom and Chairman WGSE PT
10h30 / The Aeronautical Mobile Service, the views of aviation’s frequency managers. Will ECCA’s proposals satisfy aviation?
[Official from ICAO FMG]
11h00 / Coffee Break
11h30 / National Positions – the protection of Belgian aeronautical services and additional requiremets
[Representative BIPT]
11h50 / National Positions – the concern of safety services - Germany
[ Representative of German RegTP]
12h10 / National Positions – FCC Parts 15 and 76, how it’s done outside Europe - United States
[Representative from NCTA]
12h30 / Lunch
14h00 / PANEL – Views and Proposals for maximising spectrum utilisation between radiocommunications and coaxial cable networks
-[Panel would be 4-5 persons representing ERC WG SE, Joint CENELEC/ETSI EMC WG, ECCA In-home network group, NATO frequency planning and a major European cable operator]
14h30 / Questions and discussion with Chairman and Panel
15h30 / Coffee
16h30 /

Conclusions of the Workshop – Next Steps

[TBD]
16h55 /

Closure

Chairman