UK Spectrum Policy Forum Kuha Sithamparanathan, Spectrum Policy Manager, Emergency Services, Ofcom and Paul Jarvis, Head of Business Radio, Ofcom The Emergency Services and Business Radio Sector See more at: http://www.techuk.org/about/uk-spectrum-policy-forum All Rights Reserved

1. UK Spectrum Policy Forum -
The Emergency Services and Business
Radio Sector
Paul Jarvis & Kuha Sithamparanthan
11 December 2013

2. Emergency Services
UK Spectrum Policy Forum
Kuha Sithamparanathan
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3. Ofcom’s role
• Ofcom is the spectrum regulator for the UK. We are responsible for the
optimum use of the UK’s finite resource of spectrum.
• We also represent the UK in international spectrum management
forums. We discuss cross-border use of spectrum and develop
harmonised approaches to spectrum questions with other countries.
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4. Relevant international forums
• Standards
– The HO represents ES stakeholders in the standards organisations
(3GPP etc) to make sure the required functionality is available on
equipment in all LTE bands
• Spectrum policy
– Ofcom represents the UK in CEPT and at the ITU WRC which will
discuss the future of the 700 MHz band.
– Our aim, as agreed by all parts of the UK Government, is to retain as
much flexibility as possible in the band plan adopted for 700 MHz
and to leave it to each country to decide whether or not to dedicate a
sub-band for ES
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5. The UK line on 700 MHz in preparation for WRC-15
• Support the provision of Mobile Broadband that achieves the maximum
spectrum and economic efficiencies
• Support the inclusion of PPDR services in the 700MHz band in as
flexible a manner as possible without the need for an internationally
mandated and exclusive allocation for PPDR
• Support International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) as a delivery
platform for PPDR, not just in 700 MHz but in other IMT bands as well
• Support the non-encroachment of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT)
channel 48 by mobile broadband services (maintain the lower mobile
limit as 694 MHz) to maintain current broadcast coverage levels from
the existing 6 DTT multiplexes.
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6. ES objectives
• We understand the objectives of the Emergency Services for future
comms services include:
– More wireless capacity to support broadband applications alongside
critical voice functionality
– A clear roadmap for continuous future innovation through merging
ES requirements with the mainstream development path of public
mobile services
– Flexible provision of services by suppliers;
– Reduced costs of service provision and equipment
• Ofcom is working closely with the ESMCP to ensure that UK spectrum
regulations and allocations do everything possible to support these
objectives.
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7. Harmonised spectrum
• A harmonised approach across Europe may help to keep down the
costs of network services and equipment
• Further spectrum is likely to be harmonised for LTE (eg 700 MHz)
• The benefits of mainstream development and reduced cost are likely to
come in all LTE spectrum bands (not just 700 MHz)
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8. Dedicated spectrum has disadvantages
•
•
•
•
•
•
Accessible capacity
Spectrum efficiency
Flexibility in operations
Commercial terms
Higher costs
Longer timescales
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9. Summary
• Ofcom aims to keep the options open for UK ES needs to be met as
flexibly and as cost-efficiently as possible.
• Ofcom supports ESMCP’s work defining the needs of the ES
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10. Business Radio
UK Spectrum Policy Forum
Paul Jarvis
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11. Business Radio Overview 2013
Licence class
Customers
Licences
Simple UK (Light)
9796
10222
Simple Site (Light)
4382
8009
Suppliers (Light)
712
720
13896
27095
97
218
28883
46294
Technically Assigned
Area Defined
Total
Note. It is unknown how many terminals are in use.
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12. Business Radio Overview
• PMR is used by companies to provide critical communications
Firms that use PMR say that is essential to their business
operations.
In some cases is safety critical – man down/loan worker
• Precisely tailored to give reliable and resilient, Instant, Coverage,
Functionality, Control and controllable Costs
Does this
remain
robust for
the
foreseeable
future?
• Licensees have a choice of supplier and technologies
– Analogue, dPMR (NXDN), DMR, TETRA
• Ofcom offers a range of channels between 6.25 kHz and 25 kHz (others assessed
on request)
• Migration from analogue to digital is taking place with Digital representing
around 80% of new sales (replacement and new)
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13. Strategic Review of UHF
Ofcom Annual Plan 2014/15
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14. UHF Strategic Review
Considering:
•
•
•
•
•
Pundits predict up to 300 x increase in data communications in next 10 years
Increasing demand for digital PMR technologies and functionality
Some demand for wider bandwidth systems
No obvious new spectrum available
Increase in Continental interference reports
• UHF 1 – MoD band that is constrained for civil use in geographic locations
• UHF 2 – only about 1/3 of the bandwidth available for PMR;
• So what options do we have?
– Re-plan the band to optimise channel plan
– Increase the level of sharing
– More precise engineering to match coverage needed
– Use of more efficient technology
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