Resolution 228 lays groundwork for spectrum identification of post IMT-2000

Industry Canada will stress band neutrality as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) begins to lay the foundation necessary for the potential identification and designation of spectrum for post-3G advanced mobile wireless systems, referred to as "IMT-2000 and beyond". The department will soon put together a committee to map out its proposals on the issue. Delegates to the recently completed World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-03) adopted Resolution 228, a roadmap directing the route the ITU needs to take before potentially identifying additional spectrum for systems beyond 3G. "This particular resolution really provides the guidance to the kinds of studies that would be done to determine when and if additional spectrum is required for advanced mobile on a global basis. That was really the essence (of the resolution). There was strong interest from the industry in terms of this resolution because the resolution is really the roadmap for the work," Doug Sward, director of terrestrial engineering and acting deputy director general spectrum planning and engineering at Industry Canada, tells Report on Wireless. Over the next four or five years leading up to the next conference, which will occur in either 2007 or 2008, the ITU-R 8F working party will conduct some marketing studies to map out potential spectrum requirements. The results of these studies will be used to determine the demand for spectrum and the timing of that demand on a global basis. Following the marketing studies, technical studies will then be conducted to determine which frequency ranges could or should be made available to support IMT-2000 and beyond systems. "The kind of timing they’re looking at is certainly in the 2010-2015 (for the designation of more spectrum) range, so it’s a ways out there for the kind of spectrum we would be dealing with in 2007," says Sward. The Canadian delegation put in significant work on this issue, says Sward, adding that Canada wanted to make sure the resolution contained provisions on band neutrality. Some administrations wanted to identify specific bands in the resolution, for example above 3 GHz or below 1 GHz. Canada also stressed the potential impact that new technologies producing more efficient use of existing spectrum resources could have on future spectrum requirements, he explains. "We took the approach that this should be band neutral. These studies should be based on a clean sheet and all the studies should look at where the market requires the systems (so) they can determine what the most suitable frequency range is," Sward says. For example, spectrum required for rural areas isn’t likely to be the same type of spectrum that could be required in urban areas where higher spectrum produces better frequency reuse, he adds. Industry Canada plans to form its conference preparatory committee for WRC-07 within the next six months, says Sward. "We would be looking to develop committees that will deal with each or groups of agenda items and then we would certainly have a committee or it would be within a committee dealing with other issues that this item would be dealt with," he tells RoW. Sward discussed the results of WRC-03 at the Wireless Industry Congress 2003 conference in Ottawa on September 22. It was during the session on Spectrum Planning and Regulatory Issues for New Wireless Services and Technologies where Sward talked about having to begin preparations for the next conference and more specifically about issues that could be of significance in 2007. "We really haven’t started that process yet, but I wanted to give the audience a heads up that we certainly perceive this to be one of strong interest for industry because the global identification of spectrum really does give us - where we do our domestic allocations and work with the U.S. to harmonize - the way forward," he explains.

Resolution 228 lays groundwork for spectrum identification of post IMT-2000

News | October 7, 2003

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Resolution 228 lays groundwork for spectrum identification of post IMT-2000

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