DIRECTORATE GENERAL: DOORDARSHAN

COPERNICUS MARG,

NEW DELHI.

DOORDARSHAN’S PROPOSAL FOR JTG-INDIA ON 698-806 MHz BAND

Eight countries, namely, Bangladesh, China, Korea (Rep. of), India, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Singapore, identified the band or portions of band 698-806 MHz for IMT vide footnote 5.313A and mentioned below:

5.313A“The band, or portions of the band 698-806 MHz, in Bangladesh, China, Korea (Rep. of), India, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Singapore are identified for use by these Administrations wishing to implement International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT). This identification does not preclude the use of these bands by any application of service to which they are allocated and does not establish priority in Radio Regulations. In China, the use of IMT in this band will not start until 2015.”

The requirements of various stakeholders in UHF band were analyzed by NFAP review committee and matter was summarized using India footnote IND-37 in NFAP-08 which is re-iterated below:

IND37“In the context of frequency band 585-806 MHz, bearing in mind that the band is predominantly for broadcasting services which include mobile TV, requirements of IMT and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) subject to availability of the spectrum in the band 698-806 MHz may be considered for co-ordination on case-by-case basis, as appropriate.”

Following points are required to be considered in this regard,

1)A significantly greater number of countries in Region 3, including India, have planned extensively over several decades for the introduction and now for widespread implementation of DTTB services in bands 470-862MHz. As such comprehensive studies are needed for protection of the existing and future broadcast TV services within the country and across national boundaries.

2)Countries in Region 3, including India, will continue with analogue television broadcasting and some other existing services e.g. fixed point to point links and land mobile services in Bands 470-862MHz for some time into the future. Simulcast of analog and digital transmission in the same geographical area will increase the demand of frequencies for broadcasting.

3)The band is already allocated to Broadcasting services and will be utilized for many important broadcasting services as listed below:

  1. Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting with the same coverage as of analog terrestrial services;
  2. Simulcast of analogue and digital transmission till complete switch off of analogue transmission;
  3. Enhancement of broadcasting services, e.g., Mobile TV services;
  4. Improved quality broadcasting services, e.g., HDTV services;
  5. Additional improved quality broadcasting services, e.g., UHDTV or SHV TV in future;
  6. Broadcast Ancillary Services (BAS);

4)Ministry of I&B had also projected the requirements of broadcasting sector vide their letter No. 9/10/2008 –BP&L dated 04.08.2008. It was proposed by Ministry that band 470-806 may be allocated for television broadcasting.

For the countries in Region 3 not covered by the GE06 Agreement, which have deployed the ITU-R DTTB System B (DVB-T) (or any other system), there is a need to develop regulatory procedures to deal with coordination within country; within Region 3 and between Regions 3 and 1. At present no ITU document is available on this matter. Even no such studies have been undertaken by ITU at this stage.Hence, we may propose to ITU-R to carry out studies to develop suitable sharing criteria and mitigation techniques for sharing of this broadcasting band 698-806 MHz with mobile services (IMT etc.) by ITU-R.

Keeping in view all above mentioned facts, Doordarshan proposes allocation of this band for broadcasting applications only.

Channel Plan:- 8 MHz bandwidth is required for terrestrial TV broadcasting in UHF band. Following channel division may be adopted:

Ch#49 / 694-702 MHz
Ch#50 / 702-710 MHz
Ch#51 / 710-718 MHz
Ch#52 / 718-726 MHz
Ch#53 / 726-734 MHz
Ch#54 / 734-742 MHz
Ch#55 / 742-750 MHz
Ch#56 / 750-758 MHz
Ch#57 / 758-766 MHz
Ch#58 / 766-774 MHz
Ch#59 / 774-782 MHz
Ch#60 / 782-790 MHz
Ch#61 / 790-798 MHz
Ch#62 / 798-806 MHz