Spectrum mgmt forum 2013 jussi kahtava

Spectrum Licensing: the evolving

toolbox for administrations

Spectrum Management Forum

9-10th October, 2013

London, UK

Jussi Kähtävä

Allied Spectrum Associates

www.alliedspectrumassociates.com 1

Outline

• how is authorisation of spectrum for

MFCN evolving?

• the importance of predictable access

to spectrum

• what tools will NRAs have in future

• what role will ASA/LSA play?


Policy Makers and Industry have Good Reasons to Cooperate

New Spectrum for

Mobile Broadband

Spectrum below 6 GHz

(ideally below 3

GHz) Regional / globally

harmonized spectrum

Global standards

Licensed spectrum

Technology / Service neutral

Timely access to spectrum

Mobile Allocation at

ITU

Types of authorisation

General Authorisation

• limited to frequency use that does not need to be coordinated to avoid harmful interference

• Undertakings may be required to submit a notification

Individual Authorisation

• Avoid harmful interference;

• Ensure technical quality of service;

• Safeguard efficient use of spectrum;

• Fulfil other objectives of general interest as defined by Member States in conformity with Community law.


National legislation of radio

spectrum

www.alliedspectrumassociates.com

Natural physical

resource Radio spectrum

National Table of Frequency Allocations (NTFA)

National legislation

governing the

access to frequency

bands

Users

Public

safety

DefenceCivil

aviation

Meteorology

Governmental use

Maritime &

waterways

Radio

Astronomy

…

Commercial use / non governmental

(telecom, broadcasting, amateur, SRDs…)

General authorisation

(No individual rights of use)

Individual authorisation

(Individual rights of use)

Frequency assignments

Domain of use

/

regulatory regime

Fine technical

management of

frequency bands

National legislation

authorising the use

of spectrum

Individual authorisation

issued by NRA

General authorisation

issued by NRA

Users

Picture source: ECC Report 205 5

Allocation & assignment

dilemma

• All the spectrum bands are allocated (ITU Radio Regulations)

• Traditionally, increasing allocation for one Radio Communication Service means reducing the allocation for another one

• Assignments through refarming; problems with migrating previous incumbent services

• How to provide spectrum to those services that need it whilst protecting the needs of existing services?


Why individual rights of use?

• Legal certainty of rights

• Incentive for NW investments Investment

• Predictable Quality of Service

• Access to spectrum there when needed QoS

• Internalised interference, managed through standards

• Harmful interference is minimised Interference


Co-ordination of spectrum

• Need for co-ordination at global and regional level. Common frequency arrangements facilitate: – Border coordination

– Economies of scale for equipment

– Cost effective systems

– Wider consumer & citizen choice of different device types and brands

– Interoperability roaming

– Spectral efficiency


A purely market driven approach without any co-ordination

leads to fragmentation chaos & ultimately value destruction

for all including citizen consumers

Shared use of spectrum

• Spectrum sharing is taking place today (PMSE, RLAN etc) mostly on a secondary basis i.e. non-interference non-protection

• However, secondary use provides no guarantees of QoS and individual rights of use

• Providing individual rights of use while sharing spectrum is needed


What is LSA?

• The RPSG working definition:

• “A regulatory approach aiming to facilitate the introduction of radiocommunication systems operated by a limited number of licensees under an individual licensing regime in a frequency band already assigned or expected to be assigned to one or more incumbent users. Under the LSA framework, the additional users are allowed to use the spectrum (or part of the spectrum) in accordance with sharing rules included in their rights of use of spectrum, thereby allowing all the authorised users, including incumbents, to provide a certain QoS”.


Authorisation continuum

# of rights holders

One or few

Many, coordinated

High number, uncoordinated

Individual authorizations given to one or few users seleted by the regulator, approach ranging from simple written license only in a static case to license plus technically facilitated varying secondary spectrum use. Suitable for mobile operators, if average capacity is predictable and QoS is facilitated. In its simplest form very similar to current exclusive cellular licensing

Users may be a group selected by a regulator, or it may be open for anyone. Technical means e.g. database used to authorize usage of a certain part of spectrum for a certain time, based on usage requests. Authorizations facilitate Coexistence and QoS. Nr of users may need be limited in case use requests exceed the ”capacity”.

No limitation on users or their amount. First-come-first-in, technical means e.g. sensing or database may be used to indicate free portions of band and announce possible technical conditions on the usage. Form of license-exempt use, no QoS facilitated through the authorizations. Current example: TV WS

With increased coordination and radio resource management, licence-exempt domain moves towards LSA

exclusivity

high low

11 www.alliedspectrumassociates.com

How to access spectrum?

Licence-exempt

• No process

• Low investment threshold at beginning

• Tragedy of commons

• No guarantee on QoS

• Existing business model

DSA

• Flexible process

• Initial investment according to market price

• No guarantee on QoS

• New business models

LSA

• Flexible process

• Initial investment according to market price

• Effective QoS reachable

• New business models

Licensed

• Slow process

• High investments in beginning

• Effective QoS

• Existing business model


Regulatory process for LSA


Picture source: ECC Report 205

LSA role in sharing framework

Sharing is vertical in nature the incumbent and licensee are

subject to different regulatory constraints

The incumbent and licensee have non-competing applications

Predictable quality of service

Security of investment to Electronic Communications Providers

Easily managed vertical sharing


LSA Licensee

Administration/NRA

LSA Controller

Incumbent

LSA Repository

Picture source: ECC Report 205

ASA/LSA in Europe

• FM52

Works on the harmonized release of 2.3 GHz (Band 40) based on LSA. The ECC Decision is planned for adoption on June 2014

• FM53

Established to define ASA/LSA and provide guidelines to administrations on how to release spectrum for mobile broadband under LSA. Draft ECC Report 205 was approved for public consultation on 4th October, 2013

CEPT

• RRS

Responsible for the development of harmonised standards under the EC Mandate M.512. Requirements for LSA for mobile broadband in 2300-2400 MHz under development in TS 103 154

ETSI

• RSPG

In its opinion on wireless broadband the Radio Spectrum Policy Group identified the potential in releasing 3.8-4.2 GHz for mobile broadband under LSA

EC


ASA/LSA in the USA

• Vertical sharing on federal bands

The FCC is considering ASA for the release of 3550-3650 MHz on a shared basis with coastal radars

FCC


Benefit of harmonisation


Country A

Country B

Country C

Harmonised allocation

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Assignment 3

Share or refarm

Share or refarm

Share or refarm

frequency

Lack of harmonisation


Country A

Country B

Country C

Fragmentation

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Assignment 3

Share

Share

Share

frequency

What is at stake?

Whether sharing is done in licensed or licence-exempt way makes no difference to the fundamental need for

harmonisation in allocations

LSA is based upon harmonised allocation

of IMT spectrum

Assignments through LSA build upon the

benefits of scale from exclusive assignments

TVWS is based upon harmonised allocation of broadcast spectrum

Global allocation has not converted to

global scale in sharing

DSA in general does not necessarily

benefit from harmonisation if done

wrong

Unless care is taken, fragmentation is the

outcome


Conclusions

• Licensed and licence-exempt use will remain important regimes

• Opportunity for complementary spectrum management tools in between

• Harmonised approach to spectrum sharing framework is crucial

• LSA complementary regulatory framework based on licensed regime and harmonisation

• LSA can generate important benefits

