The 75th meeting of the ECC’s Spectrum Engineering working group (WG SE) was held last 23-27 January in Berlin, attended by nearly 48 participants, including the observer from the European Communications Office (ECO) and representatives of industry and operators.
The following documents were approved after the consultation phase:
- ECC Report 246 on Wideband and Higher DC Short Range Devices in 870-875.8 MHz and 915.2-920.8 MHz (companion to ECC Report 200);
- ECC Report 257 on Compatibility studies between low power transmitters for animal tracking and other existing radiocommunication applications in the frequency band 401-403 MHz;
- ECC Report 258 on Guidelines on how to plan LoS MIMO for Point-to-Point Fixed Service Links;
- ECC Report 259 on Sharing and compatibility studies between Maritime Broadband Radio (MBR) in the 5850–5900 MHz frequency band and other systems;
- ECC Report 260 on Description of methodologies to estimate the technical impact of Wind Turbines on Fixed Radio Links;
- ECC Report 261 on Short Range Devices in the frequency range 862-870 MHz;
- ECC Report 262 Studies related to surveillance radar equipment operating in the 76 to 77 GHz range for fixed transport infrastructure.
Project team 7 (PT SE7) continues to analyse the introduction of long term evolution (LTE) technology in the 410-430 MHz and 450-470 MHz frequency bands, including narrowband/internet of things technologies based on LTE and the latest technology for professional mobile radio (PMR). For now, the impact of LTE intermodulation products on PMR narrowband receivers (private mobile radio digital technology – TETRA – and digital radio mondiale – DMR) was analysed; there are no conclusions. Also studied was LTE’s impact on performance of PMR networks with respect to TETRA and DRM; the very preliminary conclusions indicate that PMR terminals may not be able to communicate, even when close to base stations.
PT SE7 is analysing the introduction of broadband in public protection and disaster relief in 410-430 MHz, with progress reported in the studies.
Per a request from the Frequency Management working group (WG FM), PT SE7 was also mandated to study the conditions of cross-border coordination between code division multiple access and LTE.
Spectrum Engineering project team 21 (PT SE21) continues to analyse changes to standards, implemented by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), of the Radio Spectrum Matters Group. It was discovered that ETSI has created a new reception parameter called the interferer handling signal, basically a concept imposing on the manufacturer the onus of determining measurement methodology and the parameter that should be evaluated and its value. The ETSI liaison officer explained that for certain kinds of equipment it is not possible to determine a sensitivity level, due to the intrinsic bandwidth of such equipment and the very low level, which is almost impossible to measure. The equipment in question is ultrawide band, extending to radars in 76 GHz and eventually to wireless power transfer (WPT). PT SE21 was mandated to analyse the impact of using this parameter type in technical studies to be conducted in the future, in SEAMCAT® simulations, their specific measurement unit definition and its value, and finally the impact on efficient spectrum use.
During this WG SE meeting, project team 24 was mandated with two new tasks: analysis of operation of WPTs (including vehicle chargers) in various frequency bands below 6.7 MHz, and operation of wireless medical capsule endoscopy in the 430-440 MHz band.
The next WG SE meeting will be held on 8-12 May 2017 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
