ECC Decision
of 18 March 2005
on harmonised utilisation of spectrum for
IMT-2000/UMTS systems operating within the band
2500 - 2690 MHz
(ECC/DEC/(05)05)
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1 INTRODUCTION
On 9 March 2001, the European Commission issued a Mandate 4* calling upon CEPT to undertake preliminary investigations and to adopt the measures necessary to ensure the availability in the community of harmonised frequency bands, within the additional spectrum bands identified by WRC-2000 for the provision of terrestrial and satellite IMT-2000 services. In response to this mandate the ECC adopted Decision(02)06, which decided:
• to designate the 2500 to 2690 MHz band to IMT-2000/UMTS systems;
• that the 2500 to 2690 MHz band should be made available for use by IMT-2000/UMTS systems by 1 January 2008, subject to market demand and national licensing schemes;
• to designate the 2520 to 2670 MHz band for use by terrestrial IMT-2000/UMTS systems; and
• that the detailed spectrum arrangements for the 2500 to 2690 MHz band, as well as the utilisation of the bands 2500 to 2520 MHz / 2670 to 2690 MHz, should be decided in an additional ECC Decision by the end of 2004.
Following CEPT’s response to Mandate 4, the European Commission issued Mandate 5** in August 2003. This mandate requires CEPT to develop and adopt the measures necessary to ensure a harmonised and efficient use of the frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz for IMT-2000/UMTS. Specifically CEPT is mandated to develop channelling arrangements for the band 2500 – 2690 MHz taking into account and commenting on at least the following issues;
• Availability of the bands 2500 – 2520 / 2670 – 2690 MHz for the use by the IMT-2000 satellite component and/or terrestrial component;
• The impact of BSS sound at 2605 – 2655 MHz (and possibly other services in the band 2500-2690 MHz) on IMT-2000/UMTS services;
• The impact of technological advances such as variable duplex spacing or other developments that may facilitate flexible channelling arrangements as well as technology neutrality, noting that these technologies must be commercially available by 2008;
• The desirability to take utmost account of making regulation technologically neutral, and
• Efficient and harmonised use of spectrum
* Mandate to CEPT to harmonise frequency usage in order to facilitate a co-ordinated implementation in the Community of third generation mobile and wireless communication systems operating in additional frequency bands as identified by WRC-2000 for IMT-2000 systems, 9 March 2001.
** Mandate to CEPT to harmonise the frequency usage within the additional frequency band of 2500 – 2690 MHz to be made available for IMT-2000/UMTS systems in Europe (Mandate 5), August 2003.
2 BACKGROUND
The CEPT has recognised the importance of the European-wide harmonised availability of IMT-2000/UMTS services to the citizens of Europe.
The first IMT-2000/UMTS systems have been introduced within Europe utilising the frequency bands identified for IMT-2000 at the WARC-92 in RR 5.388 and in accordance with the ERC Decisions (97)07, (99)25 and (00)01 and ERC Recommendation 02-10.
In 1998, the European Community adopted a Decision, to facilitate the rapid and coordinated introduction of compatible UMTS networks and services, DEC No 128/1999/EC, the ‘UMTS Decision’. This Decision defined UMTS and described the characteristics which UMTS is to be capable of supporting. It instructed the Commission to give Mandates to CEPT to harmonise frequency use, and to take measures, where appropriate in cooperation with ETSI, to promote a common and open standard for the provision of compatible UMTS services throughout Europe.
The European Commission has issued a series of Mandates on IMT-2000/UMTS to CEPT. In response to Mandate 1, the ERC subsequently adopted the Decision ERC/DEC(00)01 making available by 1 January 2002 at the latest, in accordance with commercial demand and subject to national licensing schemes, the full ‘core bandwidth’ (155 MHz) for terrestrial UMTS. A further Mandate 2 resulted in the ERC Decision ERC/DEC/(99)25 of 29 November 1999 which contains the spectrum plan for the usage of the ‘core band’ and provides a common approach to be followed by CEPT administrations when licensing IMT-2000/UMTS services to operate in the ‘core band’. In July 1999, the Commission issued a Mandate 3 for the development of a common plan to identify, with a view to make available between the years 2005 and 2010, additional frequency spectrum for the provision of terrestrial 3G mobile and wireless services in the Community. This resulted in a European Common Proposal (ECP) for 160 MHz of additional spectrum for the terrestrial component of IMT-2000/UMTS.
Report ITU-R M.2023 concluded on total spectrum requirements for the terrestrial element of IMT-2000 for the three ITU Regions, which were based on the sum of:
- the spectrum identified for IMT-2000 in RR 5.388,
- the spectrum available in the three Regions for existing second generation systems, and
- the additional spectrum requirement to meet the forecasted traffic volume in geographic areas where the traffic was expected to be the highest.
This additional spectrum was forecasted to be a minimum of 160 MHz in all three Regions by 2010, in those geographic areas where the traffic was expected to be the highest. Europe fully supported these conclusions. These conclusions were included in the CPM report to WRC-2000. At WRC-2000, European Common Proposals were successful on identification of additional spectrum for the terrestrial and satellite components of IMT-2000, including the main candidate band 2500 – 2690 MHz, see RR 5.384A (WRC-2000) and Resolution 223 (WRC-2000).
Mandate 4 resulted in ECC Decision(02)06 which specified a first set of measures necessary to ensure the availability of harmonised additional frequency bands for the provision of IMT-2000/UMTS services in the Community. Considering that the band 2500 – 2690 MHz is to be made available by 1 January 2008, Decision (02)06 foresaw a second ECC Decision by End of 2004 dealing with the spectrum arrangements for the band 2500 – 2690 MHz..
EC Mandate 5 asks CEPT to develop these spectrum arrangements to ensure a harmonised and efficient use of the frequency band 2500 – 2690 for IMT-2000/UMTS. The Commission proposed that CEPT should follow a gradual approach for the deliverables requested by Mandate 5 aiming for the approval of an ECC Decision on spectrum arrangements and on the use of the 2*20 MHz at the band edges of 2.6 GHz by March 2005. The outcome of the investigations undertaken by CEPT should be described in a Report to be delivered to the Commission by November 2004 and should be the basis for the ECC Decision.
The standardisation work for IMT-2000/UMTS started in ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) in 1991. ETSI has defined the system concept and reference model and the standard for UMTS Release 99 was finalised by the end of 1999. The responsibility for developing the technical specifications was transferred to 3GPP and these transposed into standards by the Organisational Partners of 3GPP, including ETSI.
3 REQUIREMENT FOR AN ECC DECISION
The ECC recognises that a harmonised implementation of IMT-2000/UMTS in the band 2500 – 2690 MHz will be of greatest benefit to operators, manufacturers and end users and will promote the continued development of IMT-2000/UMTS services across Europe.
The ECC recognises that for 3rd Generation services to continue to be developed successfully and in accordance with the global IMT-2000 definition, manufacturers and operators must be given the confidence to make the necessary investment. The ECC believes that the continued development of 3rd Generation services will be facilitated by harmonised use of IMT-2000/UMTS spectrum across the CEPT, and a commitment by CEPT member countries to implement this Decision will provide a clear indication that additional paired and unpaired frequency bands, necessary for the future successful development of 3rd Generation services of will be made available in a timely manner, subject to market demand, and on a Europe-wide basis.
The ECC recognises that harmonised use of the frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz must ensure that spectrum is available for IMT-2000/UMTS systems while allowing administrations to respond to market demand.
ECC Decision
of 18 March 2005
on the harmonised utilisation of spectrum
for IMT-2000/UMTS operating within the band 2500 – 2690 MHz
(ECC/DEC/(05)05)
“The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations,
considering
a) that the ITU has identified at WARC-92 the frequency bands 1885 - 2025 MHz and 2110 - 2200 MHz for the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT-2000);
b) that CEPT has adopted the ERC Decision (97)07 on the frequency bands for the introduction of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) that designates the frequency bands 1900 - 1980 MHz, 2010 – 2025 MHz and 2110 – 2170 MHz to terrestrial UMTS applications and indicates that the satellite component of UMTS can be accommodated in the bands 1980 – 2010 MHz and 2170 – 2200 MHz;
c) that ERC Decision (00)01 indicated that the entirety of the 155 MHz shall be made available for terrestrial UMTS and other terrestrial systems included in the IMT-2000 family;
d) that WRC-2000 identified additional frequency bands for IMT-2000 in RR 5.384A of the Radio Regulations applying to the Mobile Service together with Resolutions 223 and 225 and in RR 5.317A together with Resolution 224;
e) that there is a need to facilitate IMT-2000/UMTS interoperability throughout Europe;
f) that the bands 880 – 915 MHz, 925 – 960 MHz, 1710 – 1785 MHz and 1805 – 1880 MHz are currently used for GSM (2nd generation terrestrial mobile system) in most CEPT member countries and are expected to be used by terrestrial IMT-2000/UMTS in the longer term;
g) that the band 2500 – 2690 MHz is currently used for the fixed and/or mobile service in most CEPT member countries;
h) that there will be differences in the demand for IMT-2000/UMTS spectrum and there are different licensing schemes across Europe which could lead to an offset in timescales concerning the introduction of the additional band 2500 – 2690 MHz for IMT-2000/UMTS;
i) that CEPT supports the development by ITU-R of globally harmonised frequency arrangements for the bands identified for IMT-2000;
j) that ECC Report 45 addresses sharing and adjacent band compatibility studies between IMT-2000/UMTS in the band 2500 – 2690 MHz and other services;
k) that co-ordination may be required on a national basis to protect the Radioastronomy Service (see RR 4.6, RR 5.30, RR 5.149, RR 5.340)
l) that ECC Decision (02)06 designated the entire frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz to IMT-2000/UMTS systems and the sub-band 2520 – 2670 MHz for use by terrestrial IMT-2000/UMTS systems;
m) that ECC Decision (02)06 decided that detailed spectrum arrangements for the frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz as well as the utilisation of the sub-bands 2500 – 2520 MHz and 2670 – 2690 MHz shall be decided in an additional ECC Decision by the end of 2004;
n) that according to ECC Decision (02)06 the frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz should be made available for use by IMT-2000/UMTS systems by 1 January 2008, subject to market demand and national licensing schemes;
o) that to facilitate global roaming it is important to have harmonised spectrum, licensing and circulation arrangements for the use of IMT-2000 terminals;
p) that measures are necessary to ensure a harmonised and efficient use of the frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz for IMT-2000/UMTS;
q) that flexibility should be afforded to administrations to determine, at a national level, the availability of the 2500 – 2690 MHz band for IMT-2000/UMTS in order to meet their specific deployment of existing systems (e.g. fixed service, MMDS, ENG-OB), based on market demand and other national considerations;
r) that the MSS including the satellite component of IMT-2000 will need the following bands for their development and in order to support new innovative MSS services:
• 1518 – 1525 MHz / 1670 – 1675 MHz
as well as existing pairings at:
• 1525 – 1559 MHz / 1626.5 – 1660.5 MHz
• 1610 – 1626.5 MHz / 2483.5 – 2500 MHz
• 1980 – 2010 MHz / 2170 – 2200 MHz;
DECIDES
1. that the frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz is designated for terrestrial IMT-2000/UMTS systems;
2. that administrations shall make provisions to allow for the harmonised utilisation of spectrum in the frequency band 2500 – 2690 MHz for terrestrial IMT-2000/UMTS, as identified in Annex 1 to this Decision;
3. that the frequency band in decides 1 is available for terrestrial IMT-2000/UMTS systems as from 1 January 2008, subject to market demand and national licensing schemes;
4. that this Decision shall enter into force at 18 March 2005;
5. that CEPT Member administrations shall communicate the national measures implementing this Decision to the ECC Chairman and the Office when the Decision is nationally implemented.”
Note:
Please check the Office web site (http://www.ero.dkhttps://docdb.cept.org/document/category/ECC_Decisions?status=ACTIVE) for the up to date position on the implementation of this and other ECC Decisions
ANNEX 1
HARMONISED SPECTRUM SCHEME FOR IMT-2000/UMTS IN THE BAND 2500 - 2690 MHz
1. The frequency band 2500 – 2570 MHz is paired with 2620 – 2690 MHz for FDD operation with the mobile transmit within the lower band and base transmit within the upper band;
2. Administrations may assign the frequency band 2570 – 2620 MHz either for TDD or for FDD downlink (external). Any guard bands required to ensure adjacent band compatibility at 2570 MHz and 2620 MHz boundaries will be decided on a national basis and taken within the band 2570 – 2620 MHz;
3. Assigned blocks shall be in multiple of 5.0 MHz;
4. The upper and lower frequency edges of FDD uplink and downlink blocks are specified in Annex 2;
5. For 5 MHz UTRA FDD, the block edge frequency is defined with an offset of 2.5 MHz from the nearest carrier centre frequency;
6. For other IMT-2000 radio interface, the block edge is to be defined on a case by case basis depending on receiver and transmitter characteristics of the radio interface in adjacent channels.
ANNEX 2
ALTERNATIVE 1: IMT-2000/UMTS CHANNELLING ARRANGEMENTS BLOCKS IN THE BAND 2500 – 2690 MHz
(See full version table in PDF)
ALTERNATIVE 2: IMT-2000/UMTS CHANNELLING ARRANGEMENTS BLOCKS IN THE BAND 2500 – 2690 MHz
(See full version table in PDF)
Consult:
- ECC/DEC/(05)05 https://docdb.cept.org/download/4009
