LicenceExempt Spectrum Emerging Challenges

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Licence-Exempt Spectrum - Emerging Challenges

• Doug Sward
• ISACC

Submission DateJune 26, 2008
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Highlights of Current Activities

• Licence-Exempt (LE) radio bands provide users
  with the advantages of easy entry and cost
  savings
• Licence-exempt operators must be prepared for
  interference anytime (no interference/no
  protection)
• These bands are also designated for Industrial,
  Scientific and Medical (ISM) devices as well as
  Short Range Devices (SRD)
• In Canada, RSS-210 sets out requirements for the
  certification of LE (i.e. unlicensed) low-power
  radiocommunication devices

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Strategic Direction

• The original premise for the use of radio
  equipment in the LE bands was largely based on
  low-power, intermittent use
• The LE bands are home to a wide range of
  communication devices
• The consumer is rarely aware of the buyer
  beware nature of these bands
• The no protection/no interference regulatory
  concept is generally not known by the consumer

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Strategic Direction

• Canadian LE bands are becoming highly populated
  in urban areas
• Studying interference issues particularly in
  the 900-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz and 5725-5850
  GHz bands
• The impact will become more of an issue in the
  eyes of consumers

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Challenges

• 902-928 MHz and 2400-2483.5 MHzSpread Spectrum
  Radio Users
• Users include Wireless Internet Service Providers
  (WISPs), school boards, counties, utilities,
  farmers, oilfields, etc.
• Types of systems
• Point-to-point
• Point-to-multipoint
• Mesh networks

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Challenges

• WISPs sometimes complain about interference -
  usually from other spread spectrum radios
• New devices for ubiquitous type of services can
  monopolize large portions of the 902-928 MHz band
• On all the time.
• Interference rugged
• Impact
• Drop in capacity.
• Lost of connection/service

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Challenges

• 5 GHz RLANs
• WRC-03 provided a new allocation for the mobile
  service on a primary basis
• RLANs now have access to 455 MHz of spectrum in
  the 5 GHz range
• RLANs subject to a number of operational and
  technical provisions designed to mitigate
  interference to other primary services in the 5
  GHz range
• DFS threshold waveform detection

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Challenges

• Weather radars operating in the 5600-5650 MHz
  band require protection
• Testing in Canada showed interference problem
• Canada notch out of 5600-5650 MHz sub-band to
  protect weather radars
• Protection requirements for primary services in
  the 5 GHz range not likely to provide relief to
  lower LE bands.

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Next Steps/Actions

• Greater use of cognitive radio equipment
• Possible need for additional spectrum in bands
  below 2.4 GHz
• Need solutions that are regional or global
• WRC-11 Agenda Item 1.22 on SRDs