RRAC(00)01
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON STRATEGY AND RESEARCH
1. Introduction
Funding of long-term R&D programmes centred on radiowave propagation has been
historically the role of the Radiocommunications Agency (RA) and its predecessor
government organisations. A short overview of the history of the research funding
structure is presented in Annex 1. Following a recent Research Review by the RA there
are firm objectives to re-launch a new Radio Research Advisory Committee (RRAC) to
cover all aspects of RA research. At the same time the Agency will be introducing a
Spectrum Efficiency Scheme (SES) to promote spectrum management through
collaborative research programmes.
2. Research Strategy
The RA has recognised that some of the current drivers in the change in research strategy
are government policy (contracting research), spectrum pricing and auctioning (leading to
specific funding for spectrum efficiency), and technology convergence. This has lead to a
revision of some priorities in the research area and the current aim to focus on efficient
spectrum management. Support for UK competitiveness and development of new
technical solutions is implicit in the strategy.
There is a change in the strategy of radio research, with a focus on promoting efficient
technology for better use of the existing spectrum and more use of competitive tendering
for propagation research.
This strategy is based on an overriding aim of improving spectrum management. It is
seen that technology developments and propagation research can offer improvements in
the efficient use of the spectrum. It is assumed those studies without such an aim (for
example to improve user facilities on a radio system without any impact on spectrum
usage) would not be funded by RA or the SES. Such studies would be the direct
responsibility of manufacturers and users.
This leads to two types of funding that the RA defines as follows:
RA funded: Non-collaborative studies aimed at specific spectrum management
objectives and in direct support of RA’s regulatory responsibilities, including its
international role.
SES funded: Collaborative studies aimed at specific spectrum management objectives
where those objectives are shared with non-RA parties who are willing to support the
work.
It is envisaged that the RRAC, chaired by an independent representative, would steer and
advise the RA to promote, in particular, collaborative research for mutual benefit.
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3. Current Research Projects
The current research projects for 2000/2001 and some future committed projects for the
following years are tabulated in Annex 2. The areas can broadly be categorised as
follows:
Propagation research: (RAL core programme and associated projects)
[15 projects]
EMC research:
[12 projects,]
Spectral occupancy: (Mathematical modelling)
[7 projects, Case studentship]
Sharing studies and band realignment:
[7 projects]
Other research projects: Software radio techniques, Mobile VCE (Virtual Centre of
Excellence), Digital VCE, Mobile phone health effects.
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ANNEX 1
Historical background
Over the last decade the Radiocommunications Agency (RA), together with its
predecessor, the Radio Regulatory Division (RRD) of the DTI has funded an R&D
programme centred around radiowave propagation.
Prior to this, the government funded radio propagation research was co-ordinated through
the Departmental Users Radiowave Propagation Programme (DURPP), for which most of
the funding came from a research council that at the time was the SERC (Science and
Engineering Research Council). Following a large budget cut, in 1985, the research
councils engineering board initiated a review of the propagation research programme as it
was felt that radiowave propagation research was more applied rather than fundamental
research and not sufficiently academic to be given priority for substantial funding. This
resulted in a document entitled “Review of Government funded Radio Propagation” that
came out of the Brain Report published in 1986.
The Brain Review outlined a set of recommendations that essentially highlighted the need
for propagation research for the RRD to protect and promote the UK interests in national
and international aspects of radio spectrum management and frequency allocation.
This resulted in a core programme of propagation research mainly undertaken by the
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) to act as the focus for propagation research in the
UK.
At the time the DTI and RA accepted the majority of the proposed recommendations, but
in relation to the propagation work placed more emphasis on the collaborative core
programme rather than more specific contract work.
In addition the DTI implemented the recommendation for a new National Radiowave
Propagation Committee (NRPC) to be set up to coordinate and advise on the study
programmes in the area of pre-competitive radio propagation research. The role of the
committee was to advise the RA on the scope of the National Radiowave Propagation
Programme (NRPP). This committee steered the core programme of studies and had four
main Technical Working Parties (TWP’s) covering HF propagation, Diffraction and
scatter, Mobile Radio and Millimetric Wave propagation.
The NRPP was established in March 1989, with particular roles in encouraging
collaborative studies (with industry), publishing propagation research in the public
domain, and overseeing research areas to reduce duplication of work.
In 1992 a four year review process was initiated and the Withers’ Report was produced
that year. The majority of recommendations were implemented with the aim of
progressing the propagation research and a few projects were consolidated where
technologies had progressed.
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From around 1996 and in the subsequent years the RA has had at Steering Board level
discussions on the optimum amount of spend on Research. It concluded that there should
be a fundamental internal review of the RA’s research programme. Based on the existing
structures there were changes to the core research programme funding coupled with a
move to contract research programmes. Also studies were commissioned to examine the
cost-benefit assessment of radio propagation research.
In addition to these initial revisions there was a detailed “Research Review” conducted
based on consultation (by internal and external questionnaires) sent to representatives of
government departments, industry and academic departments and this was published in
March 2000.
The Research review marks a change in strategy of radio propagation research, with a
focus on promoting efficient technology for better use of the existing spectrum and more
use of competitive tendering for research. The strategy is based on spectrum
management driving the research. The review recognises the benefit of long term core
propagation research as well, but frames this in a new (convergent) technology context
(broadband multimedia, multi-point distribution, wireless interactive systems).
The Review recommends the replacement of the NRPC by a broader, advisory
committee, the Radio Research Advisory Committee (RRAC) with the aim to make
greater use of existing spectrum. It proposes to have several Task Groups (TG’s) which
need not be confined to a particular radio service or frequency band, but can advise on a
range of research areas.
In addition the RA has proposed the setting up of the Spectrum Efficiency Scheme (SES)
which aims to address innovative ways to exploit research to manage the radio spectrum,
it also addresses spectrum refarming along with UK training needs for Radio engineers.
The scheme aims to provide co-operative working practices for research proposals with
industry. The RA would define and target research areas with advice from the RRAC and
provide research tender proposals to Industry and University research bodies.
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ANNEX 2 (Research Projects)
List of Research Projects (2000/2001)
Title
PROPAGATION RESEARCH
RAL Core Programme
Dissemination of information at RAL
Millimetric Wave Area Propagation Studies
Indoor Wideband Measurements
Bolton Overlay Project
Refractive Index in Clear Air at 38 GHz
Study on Propagation through vegetation
Prop Trans-horizon over sea path at 2GHz
Long-term data capture programme
Propagation across fixed paths at 5 to 60 GHz
Man-Made Radio noise
Propagation characteristics of sleet
Sleet Monitoring Device
Propagation mechanisms at frequencies >71 GHz
Extension to the rain rate project
EMC RESEARCH
Susceptibility of digital systems to EMC Fields
Effects of ADSL on RADNAV Beacons
Test meth’s & limits for EMC emissions 1-18 GHz
Wideband EMC Disturbances
Comprising:
Susceptibility of Digital Hardware, phase 3
EMC Emissions above 1 GHz, phase 2
Intermittent & Wideband EMC disturbances, ph2
Emissions from future electric transport, phase 2
Emission levels from unstructured cond. network
Frequency selective windows
Radiation from unstructured networks
UWB interference to wideband radio
EMC Emissions from electric transport
Predicting field strengths from cellular radio
Choke Tunnel design in 900MHz ISM Machines
SPECTRAL OCCUPANCY- MATHMATICAL MODELLING
A mathematical framework / spectral occupancy
Radio Channel Assignment
Higher Order Constraint Techniques
Cost-benefit analysis of the maths Prog. & LIDAR
Fixed Link Application of mathematical radio
On the application of real options in research
Case studentship (Uni of Oxford)
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SHARING STUDIES & BAND REALIGNMENT
Quasi GSO FSS Systems
Sharing in 14-14.5 GHz between fixed and aero mobile
Multimedia wireless Access 40.5 to 43.5 GHz
Protection of Radio Astronomy
Impact of loss of GPS signals
HAP's frequency sharing in 47.2-47.5 & 47.9-48.2 GHz
Receiving Earth stations in space research service
UHF 2 Band realignment
OTHER RESEARCH PROJECTS
Mobile VCE
Digital VCE
Prepare project 285 for RA website
Study into mobile phone health effects
Research Projects 2001/2002
Millimetric Wave Area Propagation Studies
Indoor wideband measurements
Refractivity Index in Clear air at 38GHz
Propagation across fixed paths at 5 to 60 GHz
Man-made Radio noise
UHF 2 band Realignment
Test methods & limits for EMC emissions 1-18 GHz
Radio Channel assignment
Higher order constraint Techniques
Cost-benefit analysis of the maths Prog. & LIDAR
Fixed Link Application of mathematical Radio
Case Studentship (Uni of Oxford)
Mobile VCE
Propagation Mechanisms Frequencies >71 GHz
Mobile Phone Health Effects
Propagation through vegetation
Research Projects 2002/2003
Indoor wideband measurements
Radio Channel assignment
Fixed link Application of mathematical Radio
Case Studentship (Uni of Oxford)
Mobile VCE
Mobile Phone Health Effects
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