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Consultation & Review |
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Consultation & Review |
Brian Last
Radiocommunications Agency
11th Floor, New Kings Beam House
22 Upper Ground
London SE1 9SA
Your ref Jc-80197
Our ref:
Date: 2 September 1998
Dear Brian,
Consultative Document on Radio Based Telecommunications Services in the 2.4 GHz Band
I recently became aware of the RA's consultative document on the future licensing of telecommunications services in the 2.4 GHz band and I thought it might be useful to offer some comments on it from a European perspective, in particular concerning developments in CEPT and elsewhere on short range devices.
In the document reference is made to CEPT Recommendation T/R 01- 04. .Please note that this Recommendation has been abrogated by CEPT/ERC and, together with many of the other Recommendations on short range devices, has been replaced by the comprehensive CEPT Recommendation CEPT/ERC/REC 70-03. You can download a copy of the Recommendation from ERO's web site (www.ero.dk and of course Bernard Bond and Ken Yard in the RA have copies and are well informed on the issue.
In Europe and globally there is increasing demand for radio frequency identification (RFID) applications in the band 2400-2483.5 MHz. Many of these applications are high volume in nature, e.g., replacement for barcodes and other tagging uses such as supermarket checkout systems, etc. By the nature of the applications relatively high powers are required, 500mW or greater, typically employing spread spectrum, either direct sequence or frequency hopping. Within CEPT, project team SE24S of the Spectrum Engineering Working Group is currently studying compatibility issues surrounding these RFID applications together with the Maintenance Group (of which I am chairman) responsible for the development of CEPT/ERC/REC 70-03. The outcome of the studies is at present uncertain, nevertheless it is apparent that the UK along with other CEPT member states will be presented with demands from industry to permit such systems.
You may also be aware of Project Bluetooth, a project by a consortium of telecommunications industry manufacturers to develop a short range wireless link to replace cables between, e.g., laptops, printers and mobile phones. It will also have some LAN capabilities. The radio link will operate in the 2400-2483.5 MHz band, employing frequency hopping spread spectrum and is being designed to comply with ETS 300 328. The intention with Bluetooth appears -to be for a very portable and flexible application and the consortium believe that the market is at least comparable to the mobile telephone market. If you are interested further details are available on the website www.bluetoothcom.
As the consultative document correctly points out the band 2400-2483.5 MHz is an ISM band so any systems operating in this band must be designed to be robust enough to operate effectively in a very noisy radio environment. The above examples - illustrate just how increasingly noisy that environment is likely to become and potential applicants for licences in your consultation process should be aware of this.
Finally I should say that these are my personal observations and do not reflect an official CEPT response to your consultative document but I hope that you may find them to be helpful.
Yours sincerely
Jim Connolly
c.c. Alan Proud
DTI
Communications and Information Industries Directorate
Room 204,
151 Buckingham Palace Road
London SW1A 9SS
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