Spectrum harmonisation in Europe:
two case studies
Thomas Ewers,
Chairman, ECC
Policy Tracker Latin America Spectrum Conference
Mexico City, 7th September 2011
Spectrum harmonisation in Europe: two case studies
• CEPT and ECC: who we are and what we do
• The ECC approach to cognitive radio
• The ECC foundations for the Digital Dividend
• German auction of Digital Dividend Spectrum
• ECC cooperation with Latin America
The CEPT – what it is
• What the CEPT is
• National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs)
• Independent voluntary association; defined by its ‘Arrangement’
• Its objectives are reached through tangible outputs and mutual
support
Where the ECC fits in CEPT
• CEPT’s structure is defined by three separate areas of activity
CEPT Organisation
CEPT Assembly
Council
ECO
Presidency
The Chairmen of the Committees (ECC, CERP and Com-ITU)
form the Presidency of CEPT
Working Group
Regulatory Affairs
(WG RA)
Working Group
Frequency Management
(WG FM)
Working Group
Spectrum Engineering
(WG SE)
Working Group
Numbering and
Networks (WG NaN)
Conference
Preparatory Group
(WG CPG)
Committee
Task Groups and
Project Teams
Working Group
Policy
Working Group
UPU
PT WTDC
Prep. WTCD-10
PT 1 – PP 10 prep.
Constitution & Convention
PT 2 – PP 10 prep.
Financial & Personnel
matters
PT 3 – PP 10 prep.
WSIS, Internet, ITR
ECC
CERP
Com-ITU
Support from ECO
ECO is the permanent office of CEPT established in Copenhagen
Updated: June 2011
European regulatory framework
• Three actors at the European level
Role of the ECC in Europe
• Consensus and voluntary character: flexible instrument of the
national administrations
• Technical expertise
• EU mechanisms recognise that most regulatory responsibilities
are applied at a national level (European Commission focuses on
single market issues)
• Range of subjects: ‘high profile’ and ‘low profile’:
…all are important
• Geographical reach
ECC structure
Structure follows areas of activity
ECO
Steering Group
(ThinkTank)
ECC
WG FM
WG NaN
WG SE
CPG
Frequency
Management
Numbering and
Networks
Spectrum
Engeneering
Conference
Preparation
PT1
IMT
Matters
7
ECC key outputs
• Impact on industry
•
•
•
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ECC Decisions
CEPT Reports
ECC Reports
ECC Recommendations
• Information exchange between members
• European Common Proposals to WRCs
Harmonisation – what we mean by it today
• Designation of frequency ranges for one or more purposes
• Technical conditions applying to these designations
•
•
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Power limits
Bandwidth specifications
Date related provisions
Other implementation aspects: e.g. mitigation techniques.
• Trend towards technological and service neutrality
Harmonisation – the benefits
• Economies of scale in manufacture
• Consumer benefit in device portability
• Avoid inefficiencies in the interference
zone either side of the national boundaries
Pre-harmonisation: Cognitive Radio
• Potential benefits of harmonisation
• Common technical conditions in behaviour and organisation of
systems with a cognitive dimension
• Common strategic assumptions in use of frequency bands
• Clearer signals to manufacturers: faster progress of equipment to
market;
• Pooling of expertise
ECC approach to Cognitive Radio - activities
• Major workshop January 2009
• Correspondence Group on White Space Devices in UHF
• Spectrum Engineering Project Team (SE43) established
conclusions on WSD in UHF
• Ongoing Correspondence groups on frequency management,
regulatory and spectrum engineering aspects
ECC approach to Cognitive radio – main elements of policy
• A cognitive element is already important in some mitigation
techniques
• Cognitive sensing is not yet mature for devices more powerful
than SRDs
• Database-only approaches could be a practical intermediate
step if they are not too ambitious in scope
• Recognise scepticism about the Cognitive radio business
model in short term
Digital Dividend
• A controversial concept in 2006
•
•
•
•
RRC06 was for broadcasting;
‘Clause 42’ opened the door
Most saw Digital Dividend as not implementable in Europe.
Others saw once-in-lifetime opportunity; economics of scale for
new services
Digital Dividend in Europe: the first principles
• ECC established a Task Group (TG4)
• Focused on hypothetical future in 2015
• July 2007: CEPT Report 22
• “harmonisation is feasible…if it is not mandatory”
• decisions on use should be left to administrations (within GE06)
• no prejudice to national licence conditions
• Then WRC07: allocated 790 – 862 MHz for mobile as well as
broadcasting
Making the Digital Dividend an efficient and pratical reality
• Numerous deliverables:
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•
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•
•
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Harmonised conditions for MFCN in the band 790-862 MHz (ECC Decision)
Frequency planning and frequency coordination for terrestrial systems for Mobile Fixed Communications Networks
in the frequency band 790-862 MHz (ECC Recommendation)
Rearrangement activities for broadcasting services in 790 - 862 MHz (ECC Report)
DVB-T performance in the presence of UMTS (ECC Report)
CEPT Reports:
Frequency (channelling) arrangements for the 790-862 MHz band”
(Task 2 of the 2nd Mandate to CEPT on the digital dividend)
The identification of common and minimal (least restrictive) technical conditions for 790 - 862 MHz for the digital
dividend in the European Union
Guideline on cross border coordination issues between mobile services in one country and broadcasting services in
another country
Continuation of PMSE operating in the UHF, including the assessment of the advantage of an EU approach
Technical Roadmap proposing relevant technical options and scenarios to optimise the Digital Dividend
Feasibility of fitting new applications/services into "white spaces" of the digital dividend
Technical Options for the Use of a Harmonised Sub-Band in the Band 470 - 862 MHz for Fixed/Mobile Application
(including Uplinks)
Technical Feasibility of Harmonising a Sub-band of Bands IV and V for Fixed/Mobile Applications (including uplinks)
Compatibility between “cellular / low power transmitter” networks and “larger coverage / high power / tower”
networks
Least restrictive technical conditions for WAPECS frequency bands
Making the Digital Dividend an efficient and pratical reality
Option
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• A lot of detailed
technical
provisions…..
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Restricted block
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30 MHz (6 blocks of 5 MHz)
11 MHz
30 MHz (6 blocks of 5 MHz)
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857- 862
Digital Dividend: Constraints in Europe
• RRC06: principle of “equitable access”
Channel:
in remaining
broadcast band
in the digital
dividend band
• Much of the GE06 plan needs to be renegotiated to achieve
equity in the reduced size of band
• Other legacy systems: ARNS in Russia and some
neighbouring countries: protection requirements can constrain
mobile plans
Digital Dividend case history: Germany
Technical regulation Competition and
aspects
economic
aspects
Legal and procedural implementation
International specifications and
agreements
Approach in Germany
Approach in Germany

Award of 360 MHz spectrum in one single auction
•
combines award at 1.8/2/2.6 GHz with award at 800 MHz
•
one single auction enables spectrum combinations for operators
•
avoids artificial scarcity
•
spectrum auctioned in abstract blocks if possible and in concrete
blocks if necessary
•
technology and service neutrality for Electronic Communications
Services (ECS; can be used for mobile, fixed or nomadic systems or
applications)
•
spectrum cap and coverage obligations in the band 800 MHz
20
German Auction 2010
© Bundesnetzagentur
21
Legitimising procedures
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Procedures must be in line with the Telecommunications Act
and Community law
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Instruments
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open
non-discriminatory
transparent
publication of key elements
public consultations
hearing the parties concerned (ie PMSE, broadcasting)
participation of the federal states
Judicial review
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The German auction – a look back
Preparing the auction at 800 MHz / 1.8 / 2 / 2.6 GHz
2005
Consultations on the availability of spectrum at 2 / 2.6 GHz
2007
Consultations on award at 1.8 / 2 / 2.6 GHz
President's Chamber decisions on
 the order for an award
 the choice of an auction
2008
President's Chamber decision on
 the award conditions
2009
Consultations and decisions of the President's Chamber on
 combining the award of spectrum at 800 MHz with 1.8 / 2 / 2.6
GHz
 the auction rules
April/May 2010
Auction conducted
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Spectrum cap for 800 MHz
Spectrum cap for 800 MHz
Spectrum cap for the 800 MHz band:

General rule: acquisition of spectrum limited to 2 x 20 MHz for the 800
MHz band

But: spectrum assigned in the 900 MHz band also has to be taken into
account

This meant for
•
•
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E-Plus/O2:
max. 2 x 15 MHz
Voda./T-Mobile:
max. 2 x 10 MHz
Newcomers:
max. 2 x 20 MHz
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Coverage obligation for 800 MHz
 Each federal state ("Land") compiled its own list of areas needing coverage
 In every Land, the towns and districts are to be provided with
broadband access in four stages
 Degree of coverage: 90% of the population by 2016 in each Land
in listed areas
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Balancing of interests
All the different interests have to be taken into account and balanced
against one another.
Examples:

Balancing the spectrum requirements of new users or technologies with the
need to preserve the rights of existing licence holders in adjacent spectrum
 Avoid interference (keyword: balancing cable, DVB-T and LTE at 800 MHz)

Balancing the spectrum requirements of new users or technologies with the
rights and interests of licence holders in the same spectrum (general
authorisation for wireless microphones until 31 December 2015)
 Migration concept is meanwhile offered, including individual authorisations
in other bands.

Flexibilisation of existing usage rights and calls for reallocation of the 900 MHz
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spectrum
Key auction elements
Key auction elements
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Preparation time
Frequency spectrum
Number of applications to qualify
Number of bidders
Duration of auction
Number of rounds
Auction revenues
4 years
360 MHz
6
4
6 weeks
224
Almost 4.4 billion euros
Outcome of the auction
approx total 360 MHz
99 MHz
95 MHz
Telekom
Vodafone
70 MHz
E-Plus
95 MHz
Telefonica
O2
© Bundesnetzagentur
28
Highest bids per operator
€1,378,605,000
€1,299,893,000
Telefonica O2
Telekom
€283,645,000
E-Plus
€1,422,503,000
© Bundesnetzagentur
Vodafone
29
ECC cooperation with Latin America
• ITU
• CITEL
• Website resources: www.cept.org/ecc
• Portugal-Brazil cooperation agreement; and ARCTEL-CPLP
• REGULATEL – Portugal, Spain, Italy as observers
Spectrum harmonisation in Europe:
two case studies
Thomas Ewers,
Chairman, ECC
Policy Tracker Latin America Spectrum Conference
Mexico City, 7th September 2011