The city of Manchester in the United Kingdom hosted last 14-16 January the 64th meeting of ECC project team 1 (ECC PT1) on issues concerning international mobile telecommunications (IMT). Among others, its mission is to develop harmonisation measures for bands identified for the IMT system, including respective channels and technical conditions, to conduct sharing/compatibility studies and to coordinate European positions within the Radiocommunication Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R). The meeting’s 125 participants included representatives from administrations, the European Communications Office (ECO), the European Commission (EC), makers and operators.
Work continues on a proposed ECC report meant to study in the 26 GHz band the possibility of authorising that frequency band in frameworks other than individual licensing (in accordance with spectrum usage conditions already reflected in ECC Decision (18)06).
The proposed recommendation on guidelines to support the introduction of 5G while proportionately ensuring the use of existing and planned fixed-satellite service (FSS) transmitting earth stations in the frequency band 24.65-25.25 GHz and the possibility for future deployment of these satellite earth stations was approved for public consultation at the last ECC PT1 meeting on 14 December 2019. The comments received in the public consultation were resolved and the proposed recommendation will be submitted to the next ECC meeting (March 2020) for final approval and publication.
Following a letter from the EC to CEPT, meant to gather information about thresholds to adopt in the 26 GHz band for IMT to protect passive services in the adjacent band, ECC PT1 produced a document to send to the ECC which describes the various opinions expressed about the matter, and to a certain extent tries to provide the arguments the ECC needs so it can decide on the response to give to the EC.
The proposed ECC Report 309 on use of mobile/fixed Communications networks (MFCN) for the command and control and payload links of UAs within the current MFCN harmonised regulatory framework, reviewed at this meeting, will be submitted to the next ECC meeting so it can be adopted for public consultation, accompanied by a cover letter meant to particularly reflect the different assumptions used in some of the studies. It was noted that there may be a national-level need to define non-fly zones.
In the wake of the discussions and the approval of proposed ECC Report 309 for public consultation, a new working item to be approved at the next ECC meeting has been proposed, concerning the development of a new ECC decision.
Regarding Decision ECC/DEC(14)02, MFCN in 2.3-2.4 GHz, it was noted that this decision is not harmonised at European level. A new working item was proposed to examine whether this decision can accommodate 5G. The development of an ECC report and subsequent revision of the decision is proposed.
The proposed ECC report on the future railway mobile communication system (FRMRS), concerning compatibility between railway mobile radio (RMR) and MFCN in the 900 MHz range, the 1900-1920 MHz band and the 2290-2300 MHz band, was completed. The respective report will be put forward so it can be approved for public consultation at the next ECC meeting.
The proposed revision of Recommendation (15)01 on cross-border coordination for MFCN in the frequency bands 694-790 MHz, 1427-1518 MHz, and 3400-3800 MHz, which was in public consultation, was completed. It will be presented at the next WG FM meeting for final approval.
A new working item was created to study how to improve synchronisation between MFCN networks in time division duplex (TDD) mode in 3400-3800 MHz on countries’ borders; it will be submitted to the ECC for approval. The study’s results will be used to update Recommendation (15)01.
A new working item was created to study 5G in non-active antenna systems (non-AASs) on board aircraft, which will now be submitted for approval by the ECC at its next meeting.
