SRD/MG meeting - January 2017

The 69th meeting of the SRD/MG¹ working group was held on 11-13 January 2017 in Copenhagen, chaired by Thomas Weber and attended by 44 participants from various administrations and bodies, including the European Commission (EC), the European Communication Office (ECO) and industry.

The meeting considered the comments received about the new Annex 13 of Recommendation 70-03, which was in public consultation until 20 December 2016; all were resolved by the group.

SRD/MG will propose that the Frequency Management working group (WG FM) adopt for public consultation:

• proposals to revise annex 10 of Recommendation 70-03 to include the 1518-1525 MHz frequency band and remove entries h1 and h4, specifically the 916.1-916.5 MHz, 917.3-917.7 MHz, 918.5-918.9 MHz and 919.7-920.1 MHz bands previously designated for assistive listening devices limited to interior spaces, following approval of the addendum to CEPT Report 59;
• proposals to revise annex 9 of Recommendation 70-03 to clarify the mask in 13.56 MHz and explain the notation for near field communication;
• proposals to revise the body of Recommendation 70-03, especially to remove reference to the R&TTE and update information based on the Radio Directive, and to explain the kind of radio equipment categories covered by that directive.

In response to the permanent EC mandate on SRD, the SRD/MG working group produced CEPT Report 59 with a view to the sixth update of the EC decision on low-power short-range equipment (SRD), approved in June 2016 by the ECC. Complementarily and per the ECC decision of March 2016, SRD/MG began developing an addendum to CEPT Report 59 on possible harmonisation of the 870-876 MHz and 915-921 MHz bands at European Union level, even if partially.

Besides the 870-876 MHz and 915-921 MHz bands, whose compatibility studies are being examined in Draft ECC Report 246, the 862-868 MHz band was also included in the addendum to CEPT Report 59. Its spectrum usage conditions for other SRD types beyond those currently authorised are being studied in Draft ECC Report 261,

At the 43rd meeting in November 2016, the ECC approved for public consultation the proposed addendum to CEPT Report 59; the comments received were all resolved at this meeting. The proposed revision of the addendum to CEPT Report 59 will be submitted to the WG FM meeting for approval and submission to the ECC meeting for final approval.