The German city of Mainz hosted last 14-17 June the sixth meeting of project team (PT) 43 of the Spectrum Engineering working group (WG SE), in charge of defining technical requisites for the operation of cognitive radio (CR) equipment/systems in spectrum not used by digital terrestrial networks (DTT), designated as white-space devices (WSD), as well as for equipment used for programme making and special events (PMSE) in the 470-790 MHz band.
On the first day of this meeting a workshop was held at the United Kingdom’s request, which debated several ideas that administration has in mind for this technique’s implementation.
The group considered 32 documents, whose subject matter was spread among the following groups:
- Generic questions;
- DTT protection characteristics;
- Detection levels for the sensing technique;
- Calculation of maximum power levels for WSDs;
- Relationship between WSD power levels and detection levels;
- PMSE protection;
- Geo-localisation;
- Combination between sensing techniques and geo-localisation;
- Protection of other services (ARNS, RAS);
- Protection of systems in adjacent bands;
- Investigation of amount of spectrum available for WSDs.
The working group next concentrated on drawing up the report and necessary studies. It did not reach consensus on the scenarios and values to apply in the methodology for determining detection levels. Regarding the determination of maximum WSD power levels, progress was made on the scenarios, and the concept of WSD terminal type differentiation was introduced.
As for PMSE, the group was unable to reach a final agreement on either the methodology or the techniques needed to protect such equipment.
Lastly, the SEAMCAT Technical Group (STG) sent a contribution with calculations and simulations drawn up by the ECO, including preliminary results.
The work will continue by correspondence; teleconferences have been scheduled before the next meeting.
