ORGANIZACION DE LOS ESTADOS AMERICANOS ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES Comisión Interamericana de Telecomunicaciones Inter-American Telecommunication Commission XX MEETING OF PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE II: RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INCLUDING BROADCASTING October 22 to 27, 2012 Mexico, D.F., Mexico OEA/Ser.L/XVII.4.2 CCP.II-RADIO/doc. 3115/12 18 October 2012 Original: English THE USAGE OF THE 3.4 TO 4.2 GHz SPECTRUM IN REGION 2 (Item on the Agenda: 3.2; 3.3 and 3.4) (Document submitted by Star One - Brasil, Hispamar Satélite - Brasil, Telesat Brasil Capacidade de Satélite and ABERT Brazilian Radio and TV Broadcasters Association) PROPOSALS Based on the scenarios and reasoning described in items 1 to 8, our proposals are: A. That the 3600 4200 MHz spectrum shall not be used by the MS (IMT or any other technology) in Region 2; and B. That Region 2 Member States wishing to implement mobile broadband in the 3400 3600 MHz spectrum carry out previous consultation with their neighbor countries regarding the usage of the 3600 4200 MHz spectrum by the FSS in the neighbor countries. CITEL, 1889 F ST. NW., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006, U.S.A. TEL: +1 202 458 3004 FAX: +1 202 458 6854 e-mail: citel@oas.org Web page: http://citel.oas.org
SCENARIOS AND REASONING Figure 1 1. THE RELEVANT ROLE OF C BAND FOR THE FIXED SATELLITE SERVICE The C Band, including the extended C Band, has a very special relevance to Brazil as well as to other countries of continental extension. Its availability and usage by the Fixed Satellite Service FSS must be protected against interferences caused by terrestrial broadband services in the following situations: adjacent channels in the 3400 3600 MHz frequency segment, and co-channels in the of 3600 4200 MHz frequency segment. In Brazil, in the 3700-4200 MHz bandwidth there are more than 8000 nationally registered earth stations pointing to one of the Brazilian satellites and 12000 nationally registered earth stations pointing to one of the non- Brazilian satellites that cover the country, plus an equal number of earth stations in the 3625-3700 MHz bandwidth 1. (See Fig. 1 ) Today, according to ANATEL, there are 10 Brazilian satellites and 27 foreign satellites authorized to operate in C-band in Brazil. Many of these authorizations are for operation until 2024. Since the seventies, C band has been extensively utilized by FSS links, with downlink frequencies between 3400 MHz and 4200 MHz. In Brazil, in particular, only the frequency band between 3600 MHz and 4200 MHz is allocated on a primary basis to the fixed satellite service. The extensive use and the demand for C-band satellite capacity reflect the high importance that this frequency spectrum has as a vehicle of national integration. In addition to those registered earth stations previously mentioned, ABERT (Brazilian Radio and TV Broadcasters Association) estimates that currently in Brazil around 72 million people enjoy C band domestic and end user applications (TVRO terminals). Favorable propagation conditions in this frequency band in climates like ours have generated a constant demand for more space segment and have increased its relevance. These characteristics influence the high reliability and availability that services and applications in C-band offer. In addition, the extensive coverage provided by satellite systems led the C band to play an important role in telecommunications infrastructure in many developing countries. 1 ITU-R S.2199 - Studies on compatibility of broadband wireless access systems and fixed-satellite service networks in the 3400-4200 MHz band 1
Because of its continental geographical dimension, Brazil has been using satellite communications in the 3600 MHz to 4200 MHz bandwidth as critical infrastructure for implementation of public policies for communication and information since 1974. The 3600 MHz to 3700 MHz frequency range, known as extended C band, unlike the rest of the C band, is not shared with the Fixed Service, and therefore is widely used by corporate networks employing small VSAT stations as well as for the distribution of TV and radio signals. The satellites from Brazilian companies Star One and Hispamar have today, in the extended C band spectrum, about 9750 stations: 26 corporate TV networks, with 2950 stations; 12 government and foundations networks, with 3600 stations; 23 broadcasting networks, with 2600 stations; 600 stations from other corporate networks. For more than 25 years, the broadcasting sector operates professional services via satellite due to the large size of the national territory and to the challenges inherent to telecommunications infrastructure in the country. These aspects make the C band transmissions a pillar in the audiovisual content distribution of the major radio and television networks. In addition, the use of this band for international contribution signal transmissions is also proven bringing news, culture and sports events such as formula 1 racing, Olympic Games and so many editions of the World Cup. It is also noteworthy that through the use of satellite C-band ABERT estimates that about 22 million homes receive radio and TV network programming free of charge, and that the TVRO application has been, over the decades, an important instrument for national integration, education, entertainment and building a national identity. 2. RECENT STUDIES IN BRAZIL ABOUT THE COEXISTENCE OF WIRELESS BROADBAND IN 3400 3600 MHZ WITH THE FSS IN 3600-4200 MHZ HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED A working group coordinated by Anatel and with the participation of the private sector examined the three types of interference: Saturation of the TV receiver; Interference in the LNBF local oscillator; and LNBF saturation For the first time the compatibility between the terrestrial and satellite services has been evaluated in a complete and aggregate approach by means of the simulation of real urban, suburban and rural scenarios where two or four operators operate their WiMax networks with an estimated number of users per cell. None of the previous tests had considered such aggregate situation. The final documents, including the Final Report, are being processed. 2
3. THE USE OFTHE 3400 3600 MHZ SPECTRUM BY COUNTRIES OF REGIONS 1 AND 3 FOR THE IMT IS SUBJECT TO A STRONG TECHNICAL LIMITATION AIMING TO PROTECT THE FSS. Regions 1 and 3 did not identify the 3400 3600 MHz spectrum for IMT. Such identification has been done by various countries of those Regions as it can be seen in the Footnotes 5.430A, 5.432A, 5.432B and, 5.433A. It is important to observe that a sine qua non condition for the acceptance of those RR Footnotes was the inclusion of strong technical restrictions regarding the use of the 3400 3600 MHz spectrum by IMT, what in many cases will not allow such IMT use:... Before an administration brings into use a (base or mobile) station of the mobile service in this band, it shall ensure that the power flux-density (pfd) produced at 3 m above ground does not exceed 154.5 db(w/(m 2 4 khz)) for more than 20% of time at the border of the territory of any other administration.... Stations of the mobile service in the band 3400-3600 MHz shall not claim more protection from space stations than that provided in Table 21-4 of the Radio Regulations. 4. WRC 07: 4.1 FROM THE DOCUMENT CCP.II-RADIO/DOC. 1498/07, 16 JULY 2007 - BRAZILIAN SATELLITE OPERATORS POSITION ON THE 3600-4200 MHZ SPECTRUM - CITEL s IAP NO CHANGE (See Annex 1) At the preparation to the WRC 07 there was an Inter-American Proposal - IAP proposing No Change in the 3600-4200 MHz spectrum allocated to Fixed Satellite Service - FSS. The principal justification for that IAP is that tropical climate countries that use the 3600-4200 MHz spectrum due to heavy rain conditions do not have an alternative frequency bandwidth that provides the same quality of service. Additionaly, in countries where this spectrum is extensively used it is not possible to share it with a service that requires large exclusion zones for the protection of the FSS terminals. (Fig 2) 3
Figure 2 MICROWAVE WINDOW 4.2 FROM THE DOCUMENT 4-5-6-7/35-E - -17 July 2012 : USE OF THE BAND 3.4 4.2 GHZ BY FSS SYSTEMS AND POTENTIAL USE BY TERRESTRIAL IMT SYSTEMS INMARSAT, SES WORLD SKIES, INTELSAT, EUTELSAT Studies related to the possible use of the band 3.4 4.2 GHz for terrestrial IMT systems were conducted in preparation for WRC-07 (see Report ITU-R M.2109). Recognising the extensive use and importance of C-band for FSS applications, WRC-07 did not modify the allocations in this frequency band; however, some countries allowed the use of IMT in the band 3.4 3.6 GHz through footnotes (see Nos. 5.430A, 5.431A, 5.432A. 5.432B, 5.433A). In addition, WRC-07 imposed conditions to ensure protection of FSS earth stations in countries neighbouring those deploying IMT systems. The frequency band 3.6 4.2 GHz was not modified by WRC-07. Nothing has changed since WRC-07 to suggest that the feasibility of IMT operation in C-band is any less problematic now than it was then. On the contrary, in many areas where IMT has been deployed in the proximity of satellite receiving stations, the reception of the satellite has been severely disrupted. In some cases, such disruption has led to other customers/consumers further down the transmission chain not 4
receiving services that they expect, e.g. loss of TV programming from television or cable headend stations that receive their (video) content via C-band satellites. The potential use of the band 3.4 4.2 GHz for IMT systems has already been analyzed (see Report ITU-R M.2109), and taking those studies into account, WRC-07 concluded that regulatory provisions in this band should not be changed. There is no reason to think that the potential for IMT operations has improved since then, or that the conclusions reached by WRC-07 might have changed. 5. THE RECOMMENDATION ITU R. M 1036 HIGHLIGHTS THAT ADMINISTRATIONS MAY DEPLOY IMT SYSTEMS ONLY IN SOME OR PARTS OF THE BANDS IDENTIFIED FOR IMT IN THE RR.V The administrations may deploy IMT systems in bands other than those identified in the RR, and administrations may deploy IMT systems only in some or parts of the bands identified for IMT in the RR. Globally harmonized spectrum and globally harmonized frequency arrangements for IMT are desirable, but a minimized number of globally harmonized frequency arrangements in the bands identified for IMT will reduce the overall cost of IMT networks and terminals by providing economies of scale, and facilitating deployment and cross-border coordination. When frequency arrangements cannot be harmonized globally, a common base and/or mobile transmit band would facilitate the development of terminal equipment for global roaming. A common base transmit band, in particular, provides the possibility to broadcast to roaming users all information necessary to establish a call 6. LESSONS FROM THE WRC 12 CPM REPORT: THE AVAILABLE STUDIES SHOW THAT SHARING BETWEEN FSS AND MS CAN BE IMPRACTICAL AND SHOULD BE ANALISED IN A CASE BY CASE BASIS 6/1.2/4.2 Results of studies with regard to space services (FSS, MSS and BSS) One study examined the impact on space services from adding an additional FS, MS or BS allocation to the frequency bands that are already allocated to one or two of these terrestrial services and are also allocated to FSS or BSS. The study concluded that this would need to be carried out on a case-by-case basis, in particular in frequency bands already allocated to FSS or BSS. In particular, obtaining technical compatibility between terrestrial and space services and coordination between them would be impractical when stations of terrestrial or space services or of both of them are intended to be deployed in a ubiquitous manner (e.g. MS in bands allocated to space services). 5
7. LESSONS FROM THE REPORT ITU S.2199 2 Appendix 7 of the Radio Regulations (RR) defines the methodology for calculating coordination contours around FSS receiving earth stations inside which coordination is required for terrestrial services. Such contours typically extend 400-1000 km from the earth station. Implementation of BWA networks in a country will require international coordination with any country that has filed FSS earth stations whose coordination contour overlaps the service area of the BWA network. Co-frequency operation of BWA systems and FSS receive earth stations in the same geographic area is not feasible. The implications are that BWA deployment would need to respect the above-mentioned separation distances to protect existing FSS earth stations, which may adversely affect the future deployment of BWA systems. When a BWA system is deployed, this creates an exclusion zone within which future deployments of FSS earth stations would not be possible. This limitation would adversely affect the future development in these zones of the infrastructure telecommunications/ict of those countries which rely on the FSS in this band as the main backbone for this infrastructure. When the BWA stations and/or FSS earth stations are deployed in a ubiquitous manner and/or the locations of the stations are not known, no minimum separation distance can be guaranteed. In this case, compatibility of BWA networks operating within any part of the 3400-4200 MHz range and FSS networks operating in this same range is not likely feasible within the same geographical area. 8. ANNEXES Annex 1: CCP.II-RADIO/DOC. 1498/07, 16 JULY 2007 - BRAZILIAN SATELLITE OPERATORS POSITION ON THE 3600-4200 MHZ BAND - CITEL s IAP NO CHANGE Annex 2: 4-5-6-7/35-E -17 July 2012 :USE OF THE BAND 3.4 4.2 GHZ BY FSS SYSTEMS AND POTENTIAL USE BY TERRESTRIAL IMT SYSTEMS INMARSAT, SES WORLD SKIES, INTELSAT, EUTELSAT 2 ITU-R S.2199 - Studies on compatibility of broadband wireless access systems and fixed-satellite service networks in the 3400-4200 MHz band 6