21st meeting - Cordoba

The Spanish city of Cordoba served as venue last 27-31 October for the 21st meeting of the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC), attended by 87 participants (including six observers) representing 31 administrations, the European Commission and the European Radiocommunications Office (ERO).

Highlights at the meeting included the following decisions:

• Approval of changes to Decision ECC/DEC/(06)12 concerning ''Supplementary Regulatory Provisions to Decision ECC/DEC(06)04 for Ultra-WideBand (UWB) Devices Using Mitigation Techniques'', with 18 administrations manifesting their intention to implement same;
  
  
• Approval of Decision ECC/DEC/(08)08 concerning ''Harmonised Use of GSM System on Board Vessels in the Frequency Bands 880 915/925 960 MHz and 1710 1785/1805 1880 MHz'', with 20 administrations manifesting their intention to implement same;
  
  
• Approval of the CEPT Report concerning the ''Permanent Mandate on Short Range Devices (SRD), Including the Update of the Related EC Decision'' and its forwarding to the Commission;
  
  
• Approval of editorial changes to CEPT Report 19 on WAPECS, to be published after approval of the associated ECC report, approved for public consultation;
  
  
• Final approval of ECC Report 127 concerning the ''Impact of Receiver Standards on Spectrum Management'';
  
  
• Approval of the submission to public consultation of the draft ECC Report concerning ''Derivation of a Block Edge Mask (BEM) for Terminal Stations in the 2.6 GHz Frequency Band (2500-2690 MHz)''.

Also examined was the fourth European Commission mandate to CEPT with a view to identifying relative conditions for the harmonised introduction in the EU of radio applications based on ultra wideband technology (UWB). Noteworthy is that following the approval of changes to Decision ECC/DEC/(06)12 on UWB, it was decided that the work of ECC-TG3 was completed. It thus ceased activity; preparation of the response to the new mandate will therefore be undertaken by the Frequency Management working group (WG FM), to begin immediately through the UWB correspondence group.

The Commission presented the new mandate in final approval phase on short range radars, having approved that preparation of the response to same would also be handled by WG FM.
In the follow-up to recommendations approved at the last CEPT Assembly which concern the ECC, the proposals prepared in the scope of the ECC Steering Group's Think Tank were debated. A number of action lines were consequently approved, namely concerning communication policy, strategic approach, economic component of the ECC's work, co-ordination with other entities and involvement of a broader range of speakers. In particular, the production and annual revision of an ECC Strategy Plan was agreed to, to be drafted in the 2009 Think Tank with a view to approval by the next ECC.

In procedural matters, a modification of the Working Methods was approved with regard to the mechanisms for drawing up CEPT Reports in response to Commission mandates, which should henceforth include the applicable comments from the associated public consultations, before the final version is finished. The mandate deadlines are thus to be understood as deadlines to present the ''CEPT Reports - subject to public consultation'', which may still be subject to a final revision.

As for numbering, a position was approved concerning the European Telephone Numbering Space (ETNS), to the effect that it is not possible to assess its viability in the current format, which is considered to need revision in the EU scope, after which the ECC could weigh the development of new actions in this area. For the same reason, a decision was made to inform the Commission that agreement had been reached to not appeal, for the time being, the decision by the International Telecommunication Union Standardisation Sector (ITU-T) to revoke the 388 3 code.

Also with respect to numbering, the start of work to prepare a decision on reservation of the 116 range for numbering plans for text message (SMS) and multimedia message (MMS) services was approved for harmonised numbers of the corresponding harmonised social value voice services.

The following subjects were also noteworthy:

• Preparation of the workshop on Cognitive and Software Defined Radio, to be held in Mainz on 12-13 January 2009;
  
  
• The decision to conduct the ongoing ERO study on the policy for receiver parameters in the 863-870 MHz band, instead of the 3.4-3.8 GHz band;
  
  
• Debate on applying the template of specifications for the equipment radio interface developed by the Telecommunications Conformity Assessment and Market Surveillance Committee (TCAM), the decisions on GSM on board vessels (GSMOBV), block edge mask (BEM) in the 2.6 GHz frequency band and UWB DAA, from a more technical standpoint, and possible reflections also on the ERO frequency information system (EFIS). Agreement was reached to mandate the Regulatory Affairs working group (WG RA) to assess, also from a regulatory angle, the template’s effective applicability, namely given the numerous deliverables in different themes and various degrees of depth (and distinct between EC and ECC decisions), which causes problems for the harmonised use of a common format;
  
  
• The decision to continue developing, whenever necessary, specific deliverables on UWB, to still be referred to in Recommendation 70-03;
  
  
• Confirmation that the applications for programme making and special events (PMSE) are one of the potential uses for the central band of the 790-862 MHz band, associated to a frequency division multiplexing (FDD) channel;
  
  
• Preparation of a co-ordinated ECC response to the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) concerning the structure of Study Group 5;
  
  
• Discussion of the possible future drafting of a decision on channel agreements for the 790-862 MHz band.

The plenary session also approved going ahead with signing the letter of understanding (LoU) with the European HD Radio Alliance (EHDRA).

The current WG RA chairman's candidacy for another term at the group's head was also reported. The period for presenting the candidates begins after this ECC plenary meeting and the election will be held at the next one, scheduled for 9-13 March 2009 in Vienna.