Radio Spectrum Management & Cognitive Radio

Dr. Ashok Chandra & P.S.M. Tripathi Ministry of Communications & IT, Government of India,

INTRODUCTION
Radio frequency spectrum is a limited natural resource, which cannot be owned but can only be shared. Rapid change in telecom world has made the radio spectrum one of the most valuable and vibrant resource for the economy of any country. In DigiWorld 2007 report, it has been stated that more than 7.2% of global GDP is contributed from ICT sector. Effective use of spectrum can make a big difference to a countrys prosperity, especially where communications are heavily reliant upon wireless technologies.

INTRODUCTION
Due to emerging of new technologies and services, need for greater mobility, greater capability of market players and blurring the boundaries between different services & technologies. This has put a great pressure on radio frequency spectrum management for use of spectrum efficiently, economical, rational and equitable manner.

There are several other challenges like interference Management, international coordination, maintaining Technology Neutrality and harmonisation etc., and to provide safeguard to the wireless based public services and to draw the economic efficiency from the spectrum.
It is commonly believed that there is a crisis of spectrum availability at frequencies that can be economically used for wireless communications.

INTRODUCTION

Several studies have been conducted on utilisation of spectrum in various countries

INTRODUCTION
There is no shortage of spectrum, only lack of efficient management of radio spectrum The current approach to spectrum management is not capable to deal such challenges. How the spectrum will be managed in future is not very much clear at the moment but to overcome these challenges, a new flexible spectrum management is essentially required.

The flexible spectrum management means that spectrum can be accessed on dynamic basis and to be free from technology specific restrictions imposed by the traditional spectrum allocation.

INTRODUCTION
User try to maximize their utility by choosing the access technology that best suited for their requirements and spectrum availability. The main disadvantage of flexibility is that it will increase the interference between the users. Regulators have to make a balance between facilitating the rapid development of innovative services and protecting existing services and licensed users. There must be trade-offs between the benefits of flexibility, and the disadvantages of fragmentation of the spectrum.

International Telecom Union

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies Founded on 17 May 1865 191 Member States, 700 Sector Members & Associates

750 staff / 70 nationalities

Annual budget = $140,000,000

International Telecom Union

Three Core Sectors of ITU
ITU-R: Radio Communication Sector;
Regulation standard

ITU-D: Development Sector; and

ITU-T: Standardization Sector.

International Telecom Union

ITU works through Plenipotentiary conferences, Council, World conferences on International Telecommunications and General Secretariat.

ITU does:
International regulations and plans Management of radio frequency spectrum Standards and recommendations Assistance to developing countries

Key priorities
Radio spectrum

International standard
Emergency communications & climate change

Digital divide
Cyber security

International Telecom Union-R

ITU-R is a standards body subcommittee of the ITU relating to radio communication. Its role is to regulate the allocation of radio frequencies and so reduce the interference between radio stations in various countries. It also has responsibility for regulating orbital positions of satellites relating to radio communications. The ITU-R plays a vital role in the management of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, finite natural resources which are increasingly in demand from a large number of services and those communication services that ensure safety of life on land, at sea and in the skies.

International Telecom Union-R

The tasks of Radio Communication Sector are:

To ensure rational, equitable, efficient use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits To register the frequency and orbital positions assignments made by the Member States To maintain the relevant master databases

International Telecom Union-R

ITU-R Mission
To ensure rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio-frequency spectrum by all radiocommunication services, including those using satellite orbits, and to carry out studies and adopt recommendations on radiocommunication matters.
In implementing this mission, the actions in ITU-R aim at creating the conditions for harmonized development and efficient operation of existing and new radiocommunication systems, taking due account of all parties concerned.

ITU-R functions conducted through:

World and Regional Radiocommunication Conferences Radiocommunication Study Groups Radio Regulations Board Radiocommunication Bureau

ITU COUNCIL
The ITU Council was established in 1947 under the name Administrative Council.
It comprises a maximum of 25% of the total number of Member States, which are elected by the Conference among the five world regions (Americas, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia). The role of Council is to consider, in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences, broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the Union's activities, policies and strategies fully respond to today's dynamic, rapidly changing telecommunications environment. It also prepares a report on the policy and strategic planning of the ITU. In addition, Council is responsible for ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the Union, coordinating work programmes, approving budgets and controlling finances and expenditure.

World Radio Conference (WRC)

Supreme body in worldwide management and regulation of the radio frequency spectrum. The body authorized to revise Radio Regulation. Held normally every four years, based on the national studies and the work of Study Groups reports. The ITU-R study Groups performs: develop ITU-R Recommendations on the technical characteristics of and operational procedures for radiocommunication services and systems draft the technical bases for radiocommunication conferences compile handbooks on spectrum management and emerging radiocommunication services and systems.

World Radio Conference (WRC)

Under the terms of the ITU Constitution, a WRC can:
revise the Radio Regulations and any associated Frequency assignment and allotment Plans; address any radiocommunication matter of worldwide character; instruct the Radio Regulation Board and the Radio Communication Bureau, and review their activities; determine Questions for study by the RA and its Study Groups in preparation for future Radiocommunication Conferences
The Radio Regulations (international treaty) incorporates the decisions of the World Radiocommunication Conferences, including all Appendices, Resolutions, Recommendations and ITU-R Recommendations incorporated by reference.

Study Groups
Specialists from telecommunication organizations and administrations around the world participate in the work of the Radiocommunication Sectors study groups. ITU-R study groups:

develop ITU-R Recommendations on the technical characteristics of and operational procedures for radiocommunication services and systems
draft the technical bases for radiocommunication conferences

compile handbooks on spectrum management radiocommunication services and systems.

and

emerging

Study Groups
Study Group 1 (SG 1) Spectrum management Study Group 3 (SG 3) Radio wave propagation Study Group 4 (SG 4) Satellite services Study Group 5 (SG 5) Terrestrial Services Study Group 6 (SG 6) Broadcasting service Study Group 7 (SG 7) Science services

Works:
>900 Recommendations Standards in areas of spectrum management and radio technology Result of consensus from meetings of world-wide experts Some referred to in RR Used by spectrum planners and system designers

WRC-07 & WRC-11

WRC-07 (22.10. 2007-16.11.2007)
30 agenda items, 3100 proposals, 2800 delegation almost all services (terrestrial: FS, MS, BS, Amat.S, RAS, RLS, space: FSS, BSS, MSS, EESS, SRS, SO, MetSat, Amat.Sat) several applications: IMT, HAPS, HF, GMDSS WRC-11 (03-28.10. 2011 or 24.10-18.11.2011) 33 agenda items,

again almost all services (terrestrial: RLS, AM(R)S, passive S, FS, BS, MS, Maritime MS, Amat.S, space: AMS(R)S, SRS, BSS, MSS, MetAids, RDSS, MetSat) and other issues (Res.951, SRDs, Cognitive Radio)
and many applications and systems : UAS, ENG, HAPS, oceanographic radar,

Spectrum Management in India

Besides regulation at international level, administrations world over have their own National Radio Spectrum Regulatory Authority, which are responsible for spectrum planning at national level like FCC & NTIA in USA and Ofcom in UK etc In India the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communications & IT, is the National Radio Regulatory Authority responsible for Frequency Spectrum Management, including licensing and caters for the needs of all wireless users (Government and Private) in the country.

The WPC Wing performs its functions through various divisions/groups.

The wireless services is based on National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) which was made effective from 01.01.2000. The latest one is NFAP 2008.

Spectrum Management in India

NFAP is the basis for development, manufacturing and spectrum utilization activities in the country. NFAP is reviewed periodically in line with the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in order to cater to newly emerging technologies taking into account spectrum requirements of the government/ private sector as well as to ensure equitable and optimum utilization of the scarce limited natural resource of radio frequency spectrum. All necessary technical, operational, regulatory and administrative measures are taken so as to avoid harmful interference. International Frequency Allocation Table Footnotes to International Frequency Allocation Table National Frequency Allocation Table

Section of NFAP

Remarks in the National Frequency Allocation Table

National Frequency Allocation Table

MHz 3300 3700 NATIONAL ALLOCATION INDIA 3300 - 3400 RADIOLOCATION Amateur 5.149 5.429 3400 - 3500 FIXED FIXED-SATELLITE (space-to-Earth) Amateur Mobile Radiolocation 5.433 5.282 3500 - 3700 FIXED FIXED-SATELLITE (space-to-Earth) MOBILE except aeronautical mobile Radiolocation 5.433 IND56 REMARKS

Spectrum Management in India

Recently, India has successfully auctioned spectrum for 3G (2.1 GHz band) & BWA (2.3 & 2.5 GHz bands) services. Objectives were to maximize the revenue from auctions, ensure efficient use of spectrum & avoid hoarding, stimulate competition in the sector and help resolve congestion issues related to second generation (2G) mobile services. Auctions was a two-stage simultaneous ascending e-auction, run over the Internet. More than 2.5 billion $ earned through auction.

PSUs are already providing services.

Private operators are likely to be started services very soon.

Dynamic Spectrum Access

Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA), allowing the new user (unlicensed) to access spectrum which has already been allocated to another user (licensed).

Overlay Spectrum Access- unlicensed user is allowed to access the spectrum, which is allocated to some licensed user when the spectrum is not used by licensed user.
Underlay Spectrum Access - both licensed and unlicensed user can simultaneously transmit as long as interference from unlicensed user does not degrade the quality of service (QoS) of licensed user In this way, the spectrum utilization efficiency can be greatly improved.

Dynamic Spectrum Access

EuWiT 2009

Dynamic Spectrum Access

Dynamic spectrum access is divided into two major phases:

spectrum exploration (sensing and analysis); and spectrum exploitation (decide and handoff).

Dynamic Spectrum Access

More efficient use of spectrum
Static model of spectrum management provides efficient use of spectrum during busy hour, but inefficiently at all other times. DSA would enable spectrum to be used for other services during periods of low utilisation, increasing efficiency.

Faster access to spectrum

With static approach, it is very difficult to meet the demand for access to spectrum, particularly where spectrum has already been assigned to users. DSA bypass much of the delays by allowing new user to access the spectrum as SU.

Greater Innovation and Competition

Efficient use and faster access to spectrum, help encourage wireless innovation.

Cognitive Radio
The idea of Cognitive radio was first presented officially in an article by Mitola III. Cognitive radio (CR) is a promising technology to deal with the spectrum under-utilization problem. CR figure out which frequencies are quiet in a given band and pick one or more over which it transmit and receive data.

Concept of CR can be compared with driver's reaction.

In a traffic lane that is heavy, it's time for him to shift to another lane that is not so busy. When shifting lanes, however, a driver needs to follow rules that prevent him from bumping into others. Two primary objectives of CR i.e.
highly reliable communications whenever and wherever needed; and efficient utilization of the radio spectrum.

Cognitive Radio

Cognitive radio is an intelligent wireless communication system that is aware of its surrounding environment (i.e., outside world), and to learn from the environment and adapt its internal states to statistical variations in the incoming RF stimuli by making corresponding changes in certain operating parameters (e.g. transmit-power, carrier-frequency, and modulation strategy) in real-time.

Cognitive Radio
Two main characteristics of the cognitive radio are: o Cognitive capability: ability to capture or sense the information from its radio environment. o Reconfigurability: device able to change its operating parameters like operating frequency, modulation, transmit power etc. according to information gathered from its radio environment. With the help of cognitive capability, CR device can gather information about radio environment and change its operating parameters according to situation using reconfigurability property.

Cognitive Radio
CR device can access spectrum originally allocated to a primary user by Dynamic Spectrum Access.
The development of cognitive radio is currently moving from the conceptual stage to early forms of implementation. One example of early life forms of CR is the IEEE802.22, an emerging radio standard for access networks, designed to operate opportunistically in TV broadcast channels. ITU has also shown keen interest in cognitive radio technology. Study of CR through two questions namely ITU-R 233/1 (SG 1) and ITU-R 241/8 (SG 5) has been proposed in the last World Radiocommunication conference (WRC 07) held on 2007.

Cognitive Radio
Further to this, ITU has also set WRC-11 Agenda Item 1.19 for cognitive radio: to consider regulatory measures and their relevance, in order to enable the introduction of software-defined radio and cognitive radio system, based on the result of ITU-R studies, in accordance with Resolution [COM6/18](WRC-07).
Cognitive radio technology can simplify regulatory policy. Since users can share spectrum, the demand for separate allocation may be reduced.

Cognitive radio offers hope to meet the future spectrum demand, stimulates new innovation, reduces regulatory burden, encourages market competition, preserves the rights of incumbent spectrum license holders, and benefits the populace overall.

Flexible spectrum management

Implement dynamic spectrum management (spectrum sharing) Spectrum trading De-licensed band

Technical neutrality
Encourage efficient spectrum use; Encourage the introduction of more spectrally efficient technologies; Support the spectrum needs of the emergency and security services; and Encourage technological innovation and competitiveness.

Future Spectrum Requirement

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