Business Review 1996/1997 - Research and Development

The year has seen a number of changes to the way in which the Agency deals with the non standard uses of the radio spectrum. In January, 1997 a new Business Unit was set up with special responsibilities for dealing with all applications for Testing and Development licences. This Unit is also be responsible for low power use of the deregulated bands and for applications such as Radar Level Gauges, Temporary and Special use of the radio spectrum. All of the national and international work formerly carried out by the Low Power and Special Applications Section of the Agency will continue to be supported by this new Unit.

Compatibility studies between low power devices and the meteorological service have been conducted within the band 403 - 404.5 MHz with a view to creating a new low power harmonised allocation to relieve the pressures on the band 433.72 - 434.12 MHz. Unfortunately the study has shown that sharing in this case is not feasible and it has been agreed that it is now only feasible to accommodate very low power medical implants in the 403 - 404.5 MHz band.

With the possible introduction of civil TETRA into the 410 - 430 MHz band, use of the 417.5 - 418.5 MHz band for low power applications will have to be suspended in the not too distant future. It is expected that current low power applications in this band will be decanted into the 433 MHz band or into the new band at 800 MHz.

The Agency has joined the AA and RAC and motor manufacturers in the Radio Activated Key Entry (RAKE) Committee which has been formed to investigate the problem of motorists being locked out of cars fitted with radio controlled security systems. The cause has been traced to blocking in the front stages of the car receiver which is due to other high power emissions in the 433 MHz band. Guidelines have been produced for the motor manufacturing industry, and for motorists to help alleviate the problem. However, work is now in hand to seek a more permanent solution to the problem. One route being actively pursued by the Committee is to seek an alternative harmonised frequency assignment through the CEPT.

On the international scene the Agency has continued to take an active part in the work of ETSI STC-RES 8, resulting in I-ETS 300 220 being reviewed in accordance with the maintenance procedures of ETSI. This will now be published in two parts, Part 1 as the type approval and Part 2 as additional requirements. A number of national MPT 1300 series specifications will eventually be superseded by this standard. Further work within RES 8 included maintenance of I-ETS 300 330 covering induction loop devices in the 9 kHz to 25 MHz frequency range and a start has been made on revising I-ETS 300 442 which will cover all aspects of Radio Microphones.

Amendments have been made to the Short Range Devices Exemption Regulations to reflect:

	Additional frequency bands for CCTV at 1394 MHz.
	The new harmonised band for cordless headsets - 863 - 864 MHz.
	Additional general telemetry and telecontrol band - 40.66 - 40.7 MHz.
	Two new low powered speech channels at 173.5875 MHz and 173.6 MHz.

Much work has been done within the CEPT European Radio Committee (ERC) Frequency Management Working Group Project Team 26 to develop a draft ERC Recommendation on Short Range Devices, the objective being to collect all such devices into just one Recommendation. This Project Team has also developed a new band at 868 - 870 MHz, harmonised with Europe. This will help to alleviate the short fall in spectrum at 800 MHz caused by the loss of the band 888 - 889 MHz which will be closed for Short Range Devices from 1 January 2004.