RPG WG F WP 20
Agenda item: 3
LATEST CEPT VIEWS ON ITU WRC 2003
Presented by Ch Pelmoine, Eurocontrol, Brussels
LATEST CEPT VIEWS ON ITU WRC 2003
TABLE OF CONTENT
Agenda Item / Description / CEPT brief/ECP edition / Page /1.1 / Removal of Country Footnotes in the ITU radio regulation / Brief CPG
19/02/02 / 3
1.2 / HF bands for broadcasting services / Brief CPG
19/02/02 / 11
1.3 / Harmonised band for public protection and disaster relief / ECP CPG
19/02/02 / 25
1.4 / Review the use of 5091-5150 MHz band for ARNS and FSS usage. / Brief CPG/PT2 04/03/02 / 34
1.5 / Review the use of 5150 to 5725 MHz. Consider upgrade of RL status. / ECP CPG/PT2
04/03/02 / 44
1.6 / Protect feeder links for MSS in the band 5150-5250MHz / Brief CPG/PT2
04/03/02 / 47
1.8 / to define general limits for unwanted emissions and boundary between unwanted and spurious emissions / Brief CPG
19/02/02 / 51
1.11 / Allocation of Aeronautical Mobile Satellite Service with secondary status in Band 14-14.5 GHz / ECP CPG
19/02/02 / 59
1.14 / Protection of Maritime and Aeronautical HF communications / ECP CPG 19/02/02 / 62
1.15 / Study the sharing conditions between RNSS and
a) DME
b) Radar / ECP (Res 605) CPG/PT2
04/03/02
ECP (Res 606) CPG
19/02/02 / 65
1.17 / Upgrading the status of RL in Band 2900 to 3100 MHz. / ECP CPG
19/02/02 / 85
1.22 / Provision of more spectrum for IMT2000. (The primary radar band 2.7 – 3.4 GHz was considered at WRC2000) / Brief CPG 19/02/02 / 87
1.28 / Use of ARNS band 107-117.975 MHz for GNSS augmentation systems / Brief CPG
19/02/02 / 91
1.31 / Additional allocations to MSS in 1 to 3 GHz / ECP CPG/PT2
04/03/02 / 96
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DRAFT CEPT BRIEF Annex VI to the CPG03-3 Report, Doc CPG(2002)27 Rev1, page 3 of 183
Source : Annex 2 to Doc CPG(2002)07
Agenda item 1.1: Requests from administrations to delete their country footnotes or to have their country name deleted from footnotes, if no longer required, in accordance with Resolution 26 (Rev. WRC-97)
Issue
Footnotes form an integral part of the Table of Frequency Allocations (Article 5) in the ITUR Radio Regulations (RR). Footnotes are adopted by competent world radio conferences and any addition, modification or deletion of a footnote is considered and adopted by the competent conference. Footnotes in the Table of Frequency Allocations should be clear, concise and understandable. They should relate directly to matters of frequency allocations rather dealing with the operation of stations, assignment of frequencies or other matters. The Table of Frequency Allocations should include only those footnotes which have international implications for the use of the radio-frequency spectrum. Footnotes have to be kept updated.
Preliminary CEPT position
CEPT supports administrations taking the initiative to review their footnotes and to propose the deletion of their country names or the deletion of country footnotes, if no longer required.
Background
The examination of footnotes as expressed in agenda item 1.1 is a standing item on the agenda of WRCs. This item only comprises the deletion of country footnotes or country names from footnotes. However, proposals for new footnotes or modifications of existing footnotes could exceptionally be considered by a WRC under special circumstances.
With regard to a global harmonisation of spectrum usage footnotes referring to national issues should be avoided.
Actions to be taken
In line with the agenda item 1.1 the CEPT administrations should critically examine their country footnotes in the view whether they are still necessary in the existing form and to propose the deletion of their country footnotes or of their country names from footnotes, as appropriate.
In order to support this activity WGFM has asked the ERO to provide it for every CEPT member country with a list of those country footnotes which are not mentioned in the ECA (Report 25) under the column ‘European Common Allocation’.
An analysis of the current “country-footnotes” was distributed to Administrations 13 November 2001 for detailed consideration. The ERO has received initial information from 10 Administrations indicating intend to delete their country name from a footnote or providing editorial mistakes regarding their particular country in the analysis.
The following administrations have provided information so far:
Austria
Denmark
Estonia
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Poland
Russian Federation
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Annex 1 provides the current status of participation in country footnotes with indications of countries which have indicated intent to delete their country name.
(The information will be updated as further indications from administrations are received)
Annex 1 (see attached pages)
Overview of RR country footnotes where CEPT countries are included
Intended deletions are indicated with an x in green colour.
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DRAFT CEPT BRIEF Annex VI to the CPG03-3 Report, Doc CPG(2002)27 Rev1, page 3 of 183
3
DRAFT CEPT BRIEF Annex VI to the CPG03-3 Report, Doc CPG(2002)27 Rev1, page 3 of 183
Source : Annex 3 to Doc CPG(2002)07
Agenda item 1.2: To review and take action, as required, on No. S5.134 and related Resolutions 517 (Rev.WRC-97) and 537 (WRC-97) and Recommendations 515 (Rev.WRC-97), 517 (HFBC-87), 519 (WARC-92) and Appendix S11, in the light of the studies and actions set out therein, having particular regard to the advancement of new modulation techniques, including digital techniques, capable of providing an optimum balance between sound quality, bandwidth and circuit reliability in the use of the HF bands allocated to the broadcasting service
Issue
The introduction of new modulation techniques is essential to the continued improvement and development of the HF broadcasting service and requires a number of coordinated actions to bring the technical regulations governing the use of and access to the HF bands allocated to the broadcasting service in line with the latest technological developments.
Preliminary CEPT position
European industry and broadcasters have been spearheading the development and testing of new digital technology for use in the short, medium and long wave bands. Europe supports the comprehensive review of the regulatory and technical material referenced in the agenda item and any associated actions to advance the introduction of digital HF broadcasting.
Specific action is required in four main areas:
Ø Revise regulatory provisions to define a transition to digital modulation instead of the replacement of DSB by SSB.
Resolution 517 (Rev.WRC-97): Revise so as to refer to the 3 modulation systems accepted for HFBC, which will be contained in the revised Appendix S11, and to direct a transition to digital modulation only (alternatively, this point could be the subject of a new Resolution).
The 3 accepted modulation systems for HFBC scheduling and planning will be:
DSB
SSB –6dB
ITU-R BS.1514 Annex 1
NB: This implies that SSB –12dB would not be a permitted form of operation and will require the current references in Part B of Appendix S11 and Recommendation 517 (HFBC-87).
Resolution 537 (WRC97): Suppress, since all useful actions complete by WRC-2003
Recommendation 515 (Rev.WRC97): Incorporate useful actions into Resolution 517 (Rev.WRC-03) and suppress.
Recommendation 519 (WARC-92): Suppress, since proposed actions no longer viable and Resolution 517 (Rev.WRC-03) will govern the further technical development of HF broadcasting.
Appendix S11: Revise to include system parameters and other necessary information appropriate to digital broadcasting in the HF bands. The material relevant to the SSB –12dB system should be removed. Initially, however, the existing material on system parameters for SSB –6dB system will be maintained since the agenda item does not imply that broadcasting using SSB should be discontinued entirely. However, proposals from outside CEPT to eliminate references to SSB completely need not be resisted.
Ø Provide the necessary information on protection ratios applicable to the recommended types of modulation
Update information on protection ratios to include digital modulation systems as necessary to condition service planning. The material could be incorporated into Resolution 517 (Rev.WRC-03), Recommendation 517, a new WRC Recommendation or a new ITU-R Recommendation. Alternatively the material could be incorporated into Appendix S11 directly. The final preference will depend on the timing and scope of the conclusions of ITU-R TG6/7.
Remove material relevant to the SSB –12dB system from Recommendation 517.
Ø Date of cessation of DSB services
The expectation is that the objective of a transition to digitally modulated emissions will be achieved as a result of a natural progression matching the pace of regional demand. A switch-off date for analogue HFBC services is therefore no longer required and Resolution 517 should be revised accordingly. However, to encourage the transition, a date of [I January 2004] should be set by which all new HF broadcasting transmitters will have the capability to offer digital modulation. Again this aim could be achieved by modifications to Resolution 517.
Ø The WARC-92 extension bands and the use of digital modulation systems in the broadcasting service
Significant use of parts of the WARC-92 extension bands by the fixed and mobile services is expected to continue until the 1 April 2007 access date for the broadcasting service. Therefore no changes should be introduced to permit earlier access by the broadcasting service. Editorial changes to footnote S5.134 are, however, required to reflect the fact that no significant use of single-sideband emissions is envisaged, and that the future competent conference referred to is actually WRC-2003.
The permitted modulation schemes for HF broadcasting will be those refernced in Appendix S11 (as modified by WRC-2003). It is further envisaged that the majority of HF broadcasting services will use the digital modulation system described in Recommendation ITU-R BS.1514.
The technical parameters required for the introduction of the digital systems, such as RF Protection Ratios, are proposed to be included in new Recommendation [YYY] (WRC-03), to be referred to in Resolution 517 (Rev. WRC-03).
Background
General
Efforts to improve the quality and reliability of HF broadcasting have been made at various times over the last 25 years. However there was never any complete or enthusiastic agreement on the path to take. Much of this effort was concentrated on planning for a transition from DSB to SSB, for which the main rationale was the need to ease pressure on the spectrum available for HF broadcasting and transmitter power requirements. Whether sound quality would be improved by the transition to SSB was not the main driving force, and this lack of emphasis on a very important aspect of broadcasting proved to be a major impediment to the widespread acceptance of SSB as an alternative to DSB. While some improvements in audibility were expected because of reduced congestion in a totally SSB environment, the technique does not offer any demonstrable improvement inherent in the modulation technique itself. Furthermore, when SSB –6dB compatible transmitters were tested, it became clear that the efficiency gains in spectrum use were only half those expected, transmitter power savings were fairly meagre.
The almost inevitable result has been very limited progress towards replacing DSB broadcasting services at HF with SSB, even though the final cessation date was intended to be 2015. The slow rate of progress was highlighted at WRC-2000 in the Director’s Report on experiences in the application of the Radio Regulatory Procedures and other related matters (Document CMR2000/15). This was the direct result of the advice from WRC-97 that the first survey of transmitter and receiver statistics called for in Resolution 517 (Rev.WRC-97) should be conducted as a matter of urgency and in time for the next Conference. The Director reported the following conclusions, which were based mainly on a broadcast receiver and transmitter survey carried out by Working Party 10A of ITU-R Study Group 10:
· No SSB receiver equipped with a synchronous demodulator has been identified in the price range up to USD 200. Even in the price range from 200 to USD 600, only 15% of the HF receiver models identified are equipped with a synchronous detector.
· It is not known what percentage of the estimated 500 to 700 million HF receivers in the world are capable of SSB reception and have a synchronous detector.
· It is estimated that between 11 and 22% of the HF transmitters in the world are already capable of carrying SSB signals.
· It is further estimated that between 9 and 14% of the HF transmitters in the world are already capable of being converted to carrying SSB signals.
· It is probable that most HF transmitters which can carry SSB signals, could also carry digital signals. However this assumption will need to be confirmed when the details of an ITU-R recommended digital AM system are available.
Several countries expressed dissatisfaction with the intended transition to SSB during WRC-95 and by the time of WRC-97 it was becoming clear that digital modulation technologies could offer dramatic improvements in sound quality at HF. A further advantage foreseen was that the characteristics of the technologies under study were such that reliable network coverage should be achievable using fewer simultaneous frequencies per target area.
With the expectation that improvements in quality, reliability and spectrum use would be possible, the mood of WRC-97 was to shift the goal on future HF broadcasting technology towards digital modulation rather than SSB. As a result, Resolution 517 (Rev.WRC97), which is the main instrument governing the introduction of new technology for HF broadcasting, was revised comprehensively at WRC-97 with the objective of eventually phasing out DSB in favour of new digital modulation techniques. At that time it was not possible to predict the precise form of a new recommended technology or what transition time could be appropriate.
Transition to digitally modulated emissions
There has been significant progress in the development of digital modulation schemes since WRC-97, when Resolution 517 was revised to encourage the development and introduction of new modulation techniques. ITU-R Study Group 6 has developed a new Recommendation BS.1514 which provides system description of digital modulation to replace or supplement DSB transmissions in the LF, MF and HF sound broadcasting bands.
Although the main thrust of the work to further encourage the introduction of digital modulation for HF broadcasting has to be a further revision of Resolution 517, many other parts of the Radio Regulations are involved[1]. Appendix S11 is also relevant.