ISED consults on requirements for spectrum licensees to submit technical info about sites

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) initiated a consultation on proposed amendments to the requirements for spectrum licensees to upload associated technical information related to radiocommunication installations (site data) as the country moves toward the introduction of 5G technologies. “Recent and anticipated spectrum auctions… will generate a significant increase in new spectrum licences available to enable the deployment of advanced wireless communication technologies,” the department wrote in its consultation issued Thursday. “This significant increase in licensing will, in turn, require appropriate database systems for capturing and reporting on licensing deployments, for both ISED and licensees.” ISED said the release new spectrum made available for 5G will lead to more deployments of radio equipment, particularly antenna systems, and lower latency due to larger bandwidths which will cause a densification of existing networks and, in some bands, a deployment of small cells that will largely exceed existing deployments. “Interference management and coordination will be more important than ever for managing the high capacity, highly reliable wireless networks,” ISED wrote. ISED is proposing to introduce the site data elements cell ID and physical cell ID (which are meant to facilitate processes involving sites that provide mobile services), site type code and site structure code which will facilitate the visual identification of sites during field operations, and differentiate between individual installations in dense areas. Cell ID is a unique series of decimal numbers that identifies each radio station including public land mobile network identifier, which includes the mobile country code and mobile network code, the location area code or tracking area code identifiers, and the cell identifier number. For physical cell ID, licensees would indicate the decimal numbers representing the physical-layer cell identity (the identifier of a network cell in the physical layer) of the cell in 4G and 5G systems. “As ISED is modernizing its field equipment, Cell ID and Physical Cell ID will facilitate interference investigations, making it easier for ISED to link with site data, and better distinguish among multiple installations at a site. These data elements will facilitate the detection of discrepancies between uploaded data and field sensor reports, and allow ISED to better manage commercial mobile bands in high-density areas,” the department wrote in its consultation. In site type code, licensees would indicate the broad category of site associated with the radiocommunication installation using the following code to indicate the type of site: “U” for underground (such as mines or subways), “O” for outdoor (such as purpose build tower or rooftops), and “I” for indoor (such as stadiums or corporate building interiors). ISED wants to introduce of a radio technology data element intended to facilitate assessment of how radio equipment or apparatus is operated in the field because “the radio model number is no longer sufficient on its own for ISED to reliably derive the specific mode of operation of the technology being used at a site,” according to the department’s consultation. The department further proposed to introduce a site control data element which would indicate whoever is responsible for the mast, tower, and other antenna supporting structures at a given site as well as a site ID - a unique identifier generated by licensees meant to identify each location where radios are installed. ISED is also proposing to require that all licensees provide technical information within one month of the issuance of a licence, on a monthly basis, whenever changes are made to a radiocommunication installation which modify the related data and prior to each site becoming operational.

ISED consults on requirements for spectrum licensees to submit technical info about sites

Brief | March 11, 2022

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ISED consults on requirements for spectrum licensees to submit technical info about sites

Brief | March 11, 2022

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