LICENCE EXEMPT RADIO FREQUENCY
SPECTRUM ALLOCATIONS
for use in outdoor wireless access systems
Presented by
WAPA Regulatory Advisor
Dominic Cull
Spectrum use in South Africa
• Service and spectrum licensing frameworks
– Electronic Communications Act
– Spectrum allocations by the International Telecommunications Union
– National Radio Frequency Plan
– Final Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations
– Licence Exemption Regulations
• Conditions for use of licence exempt bands
Frequency Band: 2400 – 2483.50 MHz
Type of Device
 Wideband Wireless
Systems
 WLAN
 Wideband Data
Transmission Applications
(WBDTS)
 Model Control
Maximum
Radiated Power or
Field Strength
Limits and
Channel Spacing
 100 mW eirp.
 No duty cycle.
 No channel
spacing
Relevant
Standard
Additional
Requirements
 EN 300 328  CEPT/ERC/RE
 EN 301 489 – C 70-03
1,3
 EN 60950
Comments
 Note the 20dBm EIRP
 Point To Point
 Point To Multi-Point
Frequency Band: 5470 – 5725 MHz
Type of Device
 Wireless Access Systems /
Radio Local Access Network
(WAS & RLAN)
Maximum
Radiated Power
Relevant
or Field Strength
Standard
Limits and
Channel Spacing
 1 W EIRP
 EN 300 893
 Dynamic
 EN 301 489Frequency
1,17
Selection (DFS)  EN 60950
& Transmitter
Power Control
obligatory.
Additional
Requirements
 ITU-R M.1625 




Comments
Note the 30dBm EIRP.
DFS must be enabled.
ATPC must be enabled.
Point To Multi-Point.
Indoor and outdoor use.
Please see Note 1.
Note 1: The Radio Regulations 2011 erroneously specify that the 5470 – 5725MHz band is for indoor use only on a licence exempt
base. The correct position for this band (also referred to as the Outdoor HIPERLAN band) is set out in the 2008 Frequency Licence
Exemption Regulations. The process leading to the finalisation of the Radio Regulations 2011 at no stage contemplated a change to
this band.
Frequency Band: 5725 – 5850 MHz
Type of Device
 Broadband Fixed
Wireless Access
(BFWA)
Maximum Radiated
Power or Field
Relevant
Strength Limits and
Standard
Channel Spacing
 A maximum of 4
 None
watts EIRP.
specified.
 A maximum of 1
watt transmitter
power output.
 A maximum
transmitter output
power spectral
density of 8dBm in
an 3kHz band.
Additional
Requirements
 None specified.
Comments
 Digital modulation only.
 Nominal bandwidth of transmission
must not be less than 1MHz
 Fixed point-to-multipoint systems
and point-to-point links
 In any 100kHz outside the band, the
EIRP shall be at least 30dB below the
100kHZ within the band that contains
the highest level of desired power.
Frequency Band: 5725 – 5850 MHz
Type of Device
 Broadband Fixed
Wireless Access
(BFWA)
Maximum Radiated
Power or Field Strength
Additional
Relevant Standard
Limits and Channel
Requirements
Spacing
 A maximum of 200
 None specified.  None specified.
watts EIRP.
 A maximum of 1 watt
transmitter power
output.
 A maximum transmitter
output power spectral
density of 8dBm in an
3kHz band.
Comments
 Please see Note 2.
 Digital modulation only.
 Nominal bandwidth of transmission must not
be less than 1MHz.
 Fixed point-to-point systems only
 Point-to-multipoint systems, omnidirectional applications and multiple colocated transmitters transmitting the same
information are not permitted. Please see
Note 3.
 In any 100kHz outside the band, the eirp
shall be at least 30dB below the 100kHZ
within the band that contains the highest
level of desired power.
Note 2: The Radio Regulations 2011 do not completely incorporate the 5.8GHz Decision (December 2009). The process leading to the
finalisation of the Radio Regulations 2011 at no stage contemplated a change to this band. There is a different point of view that the correct
position is that the PtP limit is 4W as laid out in Annexure B to the Radio Regulations 2011.
Note 3: Transmission towards the common node of a point-to-multipoint system is regarded as point-to-point mode.
Frequency Band: 17.1 – 17.3 GHz
Type of Device
• Wireless Access Systems / Radio
Local Access Network (WAS &
RLAN)
Maximum
Radiated Power
or Field Strength
Limits and
Channel Spacing
• 100 mW EIRP
Relevant
Standard
• EN 300 440
• EN 301 489-1,3
• EN 60950
Additional
Requirements
• CEPT/ERC/REC
70-03
Comments
• None.
Frequency Band: 24.00 – 24.25 GHz
Type of Device
• Wireless Access Systems / Radio
Local Access Network (WAS &
RLAN)
Maximum
Radiated Power
or Field Strength
Limits and
Channel Spacing
• 100 mW EIRP
• No duty cycle
• No channel
spacing
Relevant
Standard
• EN 300 440
• EN 301 489-1,3
• EN 60950
Additional
Requirements
• CEPT/ERC/REC
70-03
Comments
• Band is not currently available for
PtP links or WAS/RLANs. This flows
from the definition of SRD and has
practical effect in ICASA not type
approving equipment intended for
creating data links in this band.