technical framework for the
800MHz band
Consultation paper
JUne 2012
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acma | xiii
Contents (Continued)
Executive summary 1
1 Introduction 2
1.1 Expiring spectrum licences 3
1.2 Review of spectrum licence technical frameworks 3
1.3 Technical liaison groups 4
2 Proposed technical framework revisions 5
2.1 Spectrum licence core conditions 5
2.2 Unacceptable levels of interference 7
2.3 Radiocommunications advisory guidelines 8
2.3.1 Protection of apparatus-licensed receivers 8
2.3.2 Managing interference from apparatus-licensed transmitters 9
3 Invitation to comment 11
Attachments 12
acma | iExecutive summary
A spectrum licence authorises a licensee to use a particular frequency band within a particular geographic area, for a period of up to 15 years. Licensees adhere to the licence conditions and the technical framework established for the band by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA).
The ACMA develops a technical framework for each spectrum-licensed band. A technical framework is the collection of technical and regulatory conditions applicable to the use of radiocommunications devices under spectrum licences. The Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the Radiocommunications Act) specifies core conditions and other statutory requirements that are included in a technical framework.
The first 15-year spectrum licences were issued in the late 1990s and early 2000s and will soon expire. The ACMA will reissue or reallocate spectrum licences in eight spectrum-licensed bands prior to the expiry of these licences over the next five years. The 800 MHz band is among the first of the spectrum-licensed bands to expire.
The ACMA set up a Technical Liaison Group (TLG) in July 2011 to assist the ACMA in its revision of the technical framework for the 800 MHz band. The TLG’s role is to consider and advise on technical aspects of the development and review of the spectrum licence technical framework. The technical framework encourages technology flexibility by allowing licensees to deploy services within the constraints of their licences.
The purpose of this paper is to set out the ACMA’s proposed revisions to the technical framework for the 800MHz band. These revisions are intended to update the technical framework to take account of technological and other developments and ensure that the technical framework remains relevant and appropriate for the next 15-year licence period.
The ACMA seeks comment from interested parties on the proposed revisions to the technical framework for the 800 MHz band outlined and discussed in this paper.
1 Introduction
The ACMA is the Australian Government regulator responsible for broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications and telecommunications. The ACMA regulates access to and use of the radiofrequency spectrum under the Radiocommunications Act. Among other objects, the Radiocommunications Act seeks to maximise the efficient allocation and use of radiofrequency spectrum and to maximise the overall public benefit derived from use of the spectrum.
The ACMA allocates spectrum to users by issuing three types of licence—class, apparatus and spectrum. The focus of this paper is on the spectrum licensing arrangement.
A spectrum licence authorises the use of a particular frequency band within a particular geographic area for a period of up to 15 years. Provided that the licensee adheres to the licence conditions and the technical framework established for the band by the ACMA, licensees can choose how they deploy devices within their spectrum space, the nature of the service they wish to deliver and the technology that they use. Subject to rules made by the ACMA, these licences are also fully tradeable and can be amalgamated, divided, or reassigned, in part or in whole, to third parties.
This paper provides information and seeks comment on proposed revisions to the technical framework to support spectrum licences in the frequency ranges 825–845MHz and 870–890MHz (the 800MHz band). Spectrum licences are designed to be technology-flexible and to provide the technical requirements for interference management between devices.
The spectrum licences in the 800 MHz band will expire in June 2013 and the ACMA is working to provide certainty to its stakeholders in this band as early as possible. Spectrum licence expiry provides an opportunity for the ACMA to vary existing conditions and introduce updates to allow for new technologies to be introduced in the new licence term.
The ACMA has considered its Principles for spectrum management in the revision of the technical framework for the 800 MHz band.[1]
The principles are:
Allocate spectrum to the highest value use or uses.
Enable and encourage spectrum to move to its highest value use or uses.
Use the least cost and least restrictive approach to achieving policy objectives.
To the extent possible, promote both certainty and flexibility.
Balance the cost of interference and the benefits of greater spectrum utilisation.
The technical framework discussed in this paper supports principles 4 and 5 in particular.
1.1 Expiring spectrum licences
The first 15-year spectrum licences were issued in the late 1990s and early 2000s and will soon expire. The ACMA has released a work plan on its website outlining the time frames during which it will undertake reissue considerations or prepare to reallocate the spectrum in the expiring spectrum licence bands. There are eight spectrum-licensed bands that are included for consideration and action in the ACMA’s expiring spectrum licence project over the next five years.
To prepare the regulatory environment for the spectrum licences issued as a result of the expiring spectrum licence process and the digital dividend allocation, the ACMA has reviewed the regulatory framework for spectrum licensing. The ACMA has identified a number of proposed changes to the regulatory framework that are intended to assist and improve its effectiveness. The proposed changes were discussed in the recent consultation paper Proposed updates to the spectrum licence framework. The ACMA will review submissions received in response to this paper and consider its forward plan to refine or implement these regulatory changes.
The 800MHz band was initially reallocated for spectrum licensing in 1997 and 2000 via its inclusion in reallocation declarations made by the minister in accordance with section 153B of the Radiocommunications Act. These licences will expire on 17 June 2013. In July 2011, as required by section 78 of the Radiocommunications Act, the ACMA issued a notice of expiring spectrum licences in the 800MHz band and sought expressions of interest from persons who may have an interest in obtaining a spectrum licence in that band. Interest was expressed by the incumbent licensees—Telstra and Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA)—and Optus.
1.2 Review of spectrum licence technical frameworks
In 2009, the ACMA sought feedback from industry and stakeholders on the current effectiveness of the spectrum licence technical frameworks.[2] The purpose of the review was to determine which aspects of the spectrum licence technical framework would require review and update for future spectrum licences. The ACMA received seven responses to its consultation paper that identified the following issues as requiring further consideration by the ACMA:
the complexities associated with the spectrum licence boundary
the need to provide further explanatory information about the device registration process
the desirability of an update to the digital elevation model (DEM) calculation.
Along with the release of the discussion paper, the ACMA also released an information paper intended to assist licensees’ and accredited persons’ understanding of spectrum licence technical frameworks.[3]
The ACMA has considered the information provided in the seven submissions and has made some evolutionary changes to the engineering methodologies used to plan and deploy services under spectrum licences. Some of these changes are discussed later in this paper. The information provided in submissions was also used to inform the technical papers drafted for the ACMA’s recent TLG process.
1.3 Technical liaison groups (TLG)
TLGs are short-term advisory bodies convened by the ACMA as a forum for consultation between the ACMA, licensees and other stakeholders with an interest in the technical aspects of spectrum licences. The task of the TLGs is to advise the ACMA on the development and review of the spectrum licence technical framework for a relevant frequency band.
In June 2011, the ACMA established TLGs to support the review and development of spectrum licence technical frameworks in the following bands:
700 MHz band (703–748/758–803 MHz)
800 MHz band (825–845/870–890 MHz)
1800 MHz band (1710–1785/1805–1880 MHz)
2.5 GHz band (2500–2570/2620–2690 MHz).[4]
The TLG established for the 800 MHz band focused on updates to the existing technical frameworks for the band. These updates are considered to be evolutionary rather than making any substantial impact on the existing arrangements. The ACMA endeavours to provide consistency, where appropriate, in its approach to technical frameworks in all spectrum-licensed bands.
2 Proposed technical framework revisions
The purpose of a spectrum licensing technical framework is to specify the technical conditions applicable to the operation of devices under a spectrum licence and to manage the risk of interference between users. The conditions and constraints specified in the technical framework effectively set the terms by which a device may be deployed and operated within the specified geographic area and frequency band.
Although technical frameworks are intended to be technologically flexible, they are generally optimised for the technologies or services likely to be deployed in the band. Consequently, the characteristics and parameters used in the 800 MHz technical framework are representative of those technologies considered likely to be deployed in the 800 MHz band over the next 15 years, such as the deployment of LTE technology.
Technical conditions need to be carefully developed to minimise the impact on existing spectrum users from the introduction and coordination of new services. The following issues need to be considered in the development of any technical framework:
the inclusion of mechanisms to encourage technological flexibility
techniques to manage interference across frequency and geographic boundaries
techniques to manage interference between existing and new services operating under spectrum and apparatus licences.
The ACMA applies three regulatory elements to define the transmission rights of spectrum-licensed devices and interference management techniques:
the core conditions, as specified in the spectrum licence, in accordance with section 66 of the Radiocommunications Act (see 2.1)
a determination made under subsection 145(4) of the Radiocommunications Act setting out unacceptable levels of interference (see 2.2)
radiocommunications advisory guidelines made under section 262 of the Radiocommunications Act that provide further information to spectrum licensees about interference management techniques (see 2.3).
2.1 Spectrum licence core conditions
The core conditions of a spectrum licence form the fundamental building blocks for use of a spectrum licence through operation of devices and for managing interference with adjacent frequency bands and geographic areas. Section 66 of the Radiocommunications Act states spectrum licences must include specification of the following core conditions:
the part or parts of the spectrum in which operation of radiocommunications devices is authorised under the licence (frequency range of operation)
the maximum permitted level of radio emission, in parts of the spectrum outside such a part, that may be caused by operation of radiocommunications devices under the licence (outside-the-band emission)
the area within which operation of radiocommunications devices is authorised under the licence (geographic area of operation)
the maximum permitted level of radio emission, outside the area, that may be caused by the operation of radiocommunications devices under the licence (outside-the-area emission).
Once a licence has been issued, the core conditions can only be varied by the ACMA using one of the following two mechanisms:
with the agreement of affected licensees to vary the spectrum licence under section 72 of the Radiocommunications Act
following an agreement between the licensee and adjacent area or frequency licensees to exceed specific core conditions at a common boundary relating to out-of-band emission limits and out-of-area emission limits.
The ACMA is committed to providing information about core conditions as clearly and simply as possible. Stakeholder responses to the ACMA’s review of the spectrum licence technical framework in 2009 highlighted the need for spectrum licence templates to be reviewed and amended. The amendments would increase clarity and understanding of spectrum licence conditions and their application.
The existing spectrum licence template has been reviewed in the context of the broader review of the spectrum licence framework. The revised sample licence at Attachment A is simpler than previous licence templates and it is intended that the new licence format will be used for all spectrum licences issued from 2012.
This revised licence format consolidates licences in the same frequency band into a single licence, even where the frequency ranges and geographic areas held in the band are not contiguous.
Under the consolidated licence format, each licensee in a spectrum-licensed band will be issued with a single licence. The licence will include all the spectrum space held by the licensee for a band. When a band has paired frequencies, the paired upper and lower frequencies will appear together on the licence.
The new licences will aggregate adjacent geographic areas and contiguous frequencies wherever possible. Non-contiguous geographic areas may also be aggregated where it is meaningful to do so; for example, creating a single geographic area comprising the five mainland capitals.