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On-Frequency Repeater Stations for Use by PMR (Standard) and PMR Road Construction Licensees |
1. To inform customers of Radiocommunications Agency policy for the licensing of 'On-Frequency Repeater' (OFR) stations on channels allocated to Private Mobile Radio (Standard) licensees. A general requirement will be compliance with the type approval specification MPT 1380. Copies of this specification can be obtained from the Agency's Information and Library Service, tel: 020 7211 0211 or from the Agency website.
2. This information sheet details the policy that provides for the use of OFRs by PMR (Standard) licensees with nationally exclusive, regionally exclusive, and on-site channels. It also covers Road Construction channels.
3. It does not apply to PMR (Standard) licensees with wide area shared channels to whom UK General conditions apply (these allow operation anywhere in the UK on giving 14 days notice to the Local Office) or those operating in Band III. It also does not apply to PMR Short Term Hire and PMR Parking and Demonstration. In all these cases use of OFRs is not authorised.
4. This information sheet does not cover the OFR licensing policy for Private Wide Area, or On-site Paging (including local communications), nor does it cover policy for channels assigned to services within the Public Networks sector. Such services include, Public Access Mobile Radio (PAMR) including mobile data networks, Common Base Station (CBS), public Band III services, and public paging operations.
5. For the purposes of this information sheet an OFR is considered to be a device that receives an RF signal and re-transmits or re-radiates it on the same frequency without any significant delay. OFRs can be used to enhance the coverage of a radio service in areas where it is currently necessary to employ a repeating base station, i.e. where coverage from a main base station is inadequate e.g. in tunnels and other radio 'dead spots' caused by local terrain, etc.
6. OFRs covered by MPT 1380 can be single channel, or non-contiguous multi-channel with a common power amplifier. They can be used to enhance radio signals in areas of poor propagation between base stations and mobiles; mobiles and base stations, or in both directions, as required.
7. OFRs can re-transmit or re-radiate unwanted signals as well as wanted signals, and so cause interference. Additionally, because of the nature of their operation, OFRs are prone to instability. If they are not site engineered with a high degree of care, oscillation can occur leading to serious interference to the licensee and other users of the radio spectrum.
8. The rationale behind this OFR policy is to facilitate the use of OFRs, for the benefit of licensees, where there is little potential to cause interference to other users of the radio spectrum. It is intended that the OFR user should not extend the boundaries of his/her coverage area.
9. The policy on use of OFRs by a PMR (Standard) licensee will be dependant upon the type of channel used.
10. The Agency makes no distinction based on the technology employed by any particular type of OFR except for the requirement that the OFR shall comply with the provisions of MPT 1380.
11. This covers 12.5, 20 and 25 kHz channelled equipment, although in general 12.5 kHz channelling is used in the UK.
12. The maximum erp for all channels will be 5 watts erp or less as specified on the licence schedule.
13. You should not purchase or install any OFR equipment until you are in possession of a licence permitting its use.
14. The Agency will license OFRs on nationally exclusive channels on an unprotected, non-interference basis where such use does not lead to additional frequency spectrum requirements.
15. The Agency will consider applications for OFR use on regionally exclusive channels on an unprotected, non-interference basis where such use does not lead to additional frequency spectrum requirements and where the interference potential to other users is not increased e.g. through extending the coverage area.
16. OFRs will not be permitted on shared wide area channels. This is because of the high potential to cause interference to co-channel sharers with overlapping operational coverage areas.
17. The Agency will consider applications for OFR use on PMR Road Construction channels on an unprotected, non-interference basis where such use does not lead to additional frequency requirements and where the interference potential to other Road Construction licensees is not increased.
18. The Agency will consider applications for low power OFR use on 'on-site' channels on an unprotected, non-interference basis where such use does not lead to additional frequency spectrum requirements and where the interference potential to other users is not increased e.g. through extending the coverage area.
19. If, after reading this information sheet, you want to apply for a licence, or to amend an existing licence to use an OFR, you may do so by writing to your local Agency Office whose address, for current PMR (standard) licensees, is printed on your licence schedule. The address is also available from our Enquiry Point on 020 7211 0211. If you normally deal with the Central Licensing Unit your application should be sent there. PMR Road Construction licensees should contact Diane Boswell at the Highways Agency on 0645 556575.
20. Your application should include your reason for requesting the use of an OFR, and the following details both for existing systems (if you are adding an OFR) and proposed systems:
21. Your application will be carefully evaluated. If it is successful you will be notified of the technical conditions, i.e. the erps and the antenna heights, that are applicable, and issued with a licence schedule.
For more information contact:
RA2/Private Business Systems Unit,
Radiocommunications Agency
Wyndham House
189 Marsh Wall
London
E14 9SX
Tel: 020 7211 0211
website: www.radio.gov.uk
| RA 269 (Rev 4) July 1999 |
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