Interim SE19 Meeting, 17-18th October 2000

40GHz Issues

Delegate Report
The meeting covered the following key area of interest to the BFWA section activities:

Frequency Allocation Plans for the 40GHz band.

Frequency Allocation Plans for 40GHz.

A drafting group continued work on the draft framework for a Recommendation for frequency plans for the 40GHz band. The meeting fully reviewed the following parts of the working document:

Recommendation
Annex 1 - Principals and guideline steps
Annex 3 - Framework frequency grid.
Annex 4 - Frequency Block Edge Mask
Annex 5 - Inter-operator co-ordination
Annex 6 - MWS Technologies

Note: Annex 2 - Frequency Slot Plan, attracted no comment and can be considered stable.

Detailed Discussions

Recommendation:
The group reviewed the current text and editorial contributions from the UK covering the MWS introduction, the considerings and the recommends. The text is now reasonably stable although minor issues and final tweaks of the text may occur at subsequent meetings. No further substantive changes are anticipated.

Annex 1:
The group reviewed the current text and editorial contributions from the UK. This section provides guidance for administrations on the steps to be followed to facilitate a frequency assignment plan for the band. Considerable discussion was had on the issue of defining specific uplink or downlink bands and duplex spacing for both symmetric and asymmetric assignments. These issues are likely to be addressed further at the next meeting. Apart from these issues , the text is reasonably stable.

Annex 3:
The group reviewed the current text and editorial contributions from the UK, Norway, Italy and Germany that sought to expand on the bullet points identified at the last meeting. As before considerable discussion centred on the issue of duplex spacing particularly for asymmetric assignments. The document contains two options that need resolving at the next meeting. These options amount to spacing between uplink and downlink blocks of either at least 500MHz or 1000MHz. The impact of either choice needs further evaluation. The term "super block" was renamed "framework" in order to disassociate with assigned frequency blocks.

Annex 4:
This is a difficult section that remains unresolved. There is a desire to define a block edge emission mask rather than "explicit guard bands" to minimise operator co-operation. This issue is strongly linked to the similar work of TM4 that is writing the 40GHz MWS co-existence standard. Substantive input is expected for the next meeting and "worst case" scenarios are defined for study (i.e narrowest channels/widest channels, FDD/TDD systems).

Annex 5:
The group reviewed the current text and editorial contributions from the UK and Germany that sought to expand on the bullet points identified at the last meeting. The power flux density limits for cross boundary co-ordination were examined and agreed subject to any other input. The group agreed that with a "hard" boundary emission limit there was no need to add any distance trigger. Text was amended accordingly and updated to explain better the derivation of the PFD limit.

Annex 6:
The group discussed contributions from ETSI BRAN and from Italy. The BRAN input was used to update the HIPERACCESS information in the Annex. The contribution from Italy described MWS systems based upon Cable modem standards. This was agreed as a useful input for inclusion in this Technologies Annex.

Outstanding Issues
In order to complete this work the following issues require resolution and input contribution:

Clarification of the impact of Radio Astronomy services on access to the top 1GHz of the band. This is important to assess the need to specify alternative duplex spacings if the exclusion from use of the top 1GHz is extensive. This impacts both symmetric and asymmetric FDD systems.
Proposals are required for the block edge mask.This will depend on studies to be undertaken examining the worst case adjacent frequency block issues.

The next SE19 main meeting is scheduled for 14-16th November 2000.

Barry Lewis
18th October 2000

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