ECC PT7 - Paris

The second meeting of project team PT7 of the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC), which handles policy and strategy questions, was held on 21-22 June in Paris. Ten participants attended, representing seven administrations. The main subjects covered at the meeting were the following:

Revision of the ECC's 'policy goals'

Based on a contribution from the Netherlands, a revision of the ECC's policy goals has been accomplished, grounded on the work carried out in 1994 by its precursor, the European Radiocommunications Committee (ERC).

Development of the Rolling Policy Agenda project

A number of subjects that should merit attention from the ECC have been identified, specifically the next World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC07), the Regional Radio Conference (RRC06), matters in the Radio Spectrum Committee (RSC) context, revision of ECC decisions, convergence and improvement of the harmonisation process.

It was agreed that these subjects may be periodically updated in order to reflect issues considered to be more relevant at a given time.

Revision of the DSI (Detailed Spectrum Investigation) process and implementation of the ECA (European Common Allocation Table).

With a mind to study the degree to which the European Radiocommunications Office (ERO) has applied the ECA, the following classes have been identified:

Class 1 - 'Bands that need total harmonisation': this case encompasses cross-border applications where harmonisation is necessary, such as, for example, those linked to security and civil protection services or to NATO uses. They may also include services in the maritime and aeronautic area.

Class 2 - 'Bands that need total harmonisation': includes cases where bands have been designated for a specific purpose, such as deriving from ECC decisions or by European Commission initiative, or even in situations where there are no ECC decisions but which are associated to a harmonised band use (such as the case of fixed service).

Class 3 - 'Bands where flexible usage is possible': this case encompasses situations where flexible band use is possible, as long as the technical requirements for use of same are complied with - assuring co-existence with other band users, avoiding new interference. For example, the case of professional-private-mobile radio/ public access mobile radio (PMR/ PAMR) was focused on.

Class 4 - 'Bands where there is no harmonisation': cases not included in classes 1, 2 and 3.

Revision of the EU regulatory framework and its impact on the ECC's work and role

This PT's position is critical vis-à-vis the ongoing link between the EU and CEPT. In certain situations, the RSC's added value is not clear. In particular, it was mentioned that the EU mandates do not take into due account the ECC's working programme and the calendars involved. An increase of dialogue between the EU and CEPT is thus proposed.

Improvement in harmonisation and in the ECC's frequency designation process

A United Kingdom contribution was presented, on the need to improve the harmonisation process, taking into account economic aspects, harmonisation costs at the current state of the art and the eventual likelihood of flexible spectrum usage.

This contribution warranted some comments, specifically from Portugal, which stressed that same does not take technical aspects into account and that spectrum commerce - which the document seeks to label the 'route to follow' - is not yet demonstrated, namely that spectrum use will be more efficient.

With the aim of increasing speed in the ECC's frequency designation process, beyond the traditional method (study request to its teams), new task groups may be set up. The ECC should encourage industry to submit studies on sharing/ compatibility that support their proposals. These studies should be studied later by the Spectrum Engineering Group (WG SE).

Linked to this subject - fast frequency designation process - PT7 will propose that the ECC decisions include mechanisms to revise frequency designations, namely by keeping in mind verification of development status vis-à-vis utilisation.

Contrary to the United Kingdom's designs, Portugal and France disagreed with the proposal to include those decisions in a 'Decide', stipulating 'that administrations may also allow the use of other wireless systems provided they respect the same interference protection criteria as [the harmonised application]'.

The compromise was to include grounds of the type: 'that alternative applications may also be introduced within [the frequency band] provided that they are implemented in such a way that does not constrain or impede the development of the harmonised application in that band'.  

Technological neutrality and how to reference standards in ECC decisions

This the most discussed issue at this PT's meeting. Contributions were presented from the United Kingdom, France, Finland, Sweden and Portugal. After some debate, the chair proposed that determination of technological neutrality be based on Portugal's document (document 23).

The approved definition - not entirely as proposed by Portugal¹ - thus takes a different stance than the one wanted by the United Kingdom, as it associates frequency band use to certain technical requirements that are well beyond the 'spectral mask', as was suggested. Note that Finland's contribution, in total agreement with Portugal's proposal, suggests that the decisions contain an annex which should contain the parameters associated to radio interface regulation.

With a mind to report to the next ECC the substance and debate on this subject, document 23 (Portugal) was taken as the base. Note also that, contrary to the direction PT7 meant to follow previously, mention of the 'simple' spectral mask as a way to introduce new systems seems to have been abandoned; this is one of the objectives of document 23.
 
The next meeting of this PT has been scheduled for 15-16 September in Prague.