CPG PT3 - Copenhagen

The extraordinary meeting of project team PT3 of the Conference Preparatory Group (CPG PT3) took place in Copenhagen on 29-31 August. In the preparatory work on European positions for the 2007 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC07), project team PT3 is responsible for issues concerning fixed, fixed by satellite and aeronautic radionavigation services. The aim of this meeting was to produce the first draft European common proposals (ECPs) and to update the respective briefs exclusively for items 1.5 and 1.6 of the WRC07 agenda.

The said items concern the possible additional allocation of frequency bands in the interval between 108 and 6000 MHz to aeronautic mobile service, as well as discussion of the regulatory definition of telemetry and aeronautic telecommand services. These issues have drawn special attention from the European Commission and from various members of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), as they may significantly impact community policy for the civil aviation sector.

Regarding telemetry and aeronautic telecommand services (item 1.5), the CEPT preliminary position aims to support the identification of spectrum in the 5 GHz band for telemetry and aeronautic telecommand services. In the ITU Radiocommunications Sector (ITU-R) an ITU-R M.[AMT] Recommendation is under development, on the determination of separation distances between MLS (microwave landing system) stations and telemetry and aeronautic telecommand emitters. The first draft ECP thus proposes allocation of the 50[30]-5150 MHz band to aeronautic mobile service and a footnote (5.XXX) associated to the Allocation Table of article 5 of the Radio Regulation, specifying that this band will be limited to test flights.

Regarding the issue of identifying additional spectrum for aeronautic mobile service in the interval between 108 MHz and 6 GHz (item 1.6), CEPT?s preliminary position is to support additional allocations in the bands [116]-118 MHz, 960-[1164] MHz and [5030]-5150 MHz. The first two bands should preferably be used for short distance applications, while the third band (5 GHz) will be for long distance applications. Besides this, the 116-118 MHz band should provide additional capacity to current VHF systems until development of the aeronautic future communication infrastructure (FCI), currently being studied by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Besides the frequency band proposal mentioned, CEPT supports development of a new ITU-R Recommendation on the determination of frequency separation and/or separation distances between MLS stations and AM(R)S emitters. In this regard, an ECP was produced which proposes allocation of the aforementioned bands to aeronautic mobile service (en route) (AM(R)S) for life safety applications.

The next PT3 meeting is scheduled for December.