ITU SEMINAR ON SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT AND

TERRESTRIAL TV BROADCAST IN PACIFIC

10th July 2015, Nadi, Fiji

APT 700 MHZ Band Plan

Stuart Davies
Consultant

Need for Harmonised Spectrum

Allocations
While each country is free to chose its own radio spectrum frequency allocations,
it is clear there are many benefits from adopting a harmonized radio spectrum
either regionally or even globally. The benefits include:

Rational use of the spectrum

Reduction of interference

Cheaper equipment for both terminal equipment and CPE

Enables future planning

Radio Frequency Bands

The radio frequency spectrum extends from 3 KHz (ELF) to 300 GHz (EHF). This
spectrum has been broken down into frequency bands which have different
characteristics. The different bands of the radio spectrum are allocated for
different radio transmission technologies and applications.

The discussion today will focus on the VHF Band (30300MHz) and the UHF
Band (3003000MHz)

The VHF Band is typically used for television and FM broadcast, line-of-sight
ground-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-aircraft communications, land mobile and
maritime mobile communications

The UHF Band is typically used for Television broadcasts,Trunking

communications,Cellular (Mobile phones), wireless LANs and two-way radios
such as land mobile.

APT Wireless Group 700 MHZ Band Plan

The APT Wireless Group (AWG) is a specialist work program Group dealing with
various aspects of emerging wireless systems including IMT to meet the
upcoming digital convergence era in the Asia-Pacific region.

Pursue effective solutions in the Asia-Pacific region to meet the rapid

movements towards digital convergence

Study spectrum sharing methodologies, spectrum harmonization and to

provide advice that countries' can use in frequency band planning.

As countries started digitising television services thus making the recovery of a

portion of the analogue TV spectrum bandwidth possible, the 700MHz band was
considered as an ideal band for future low band LTE requirements.

AWG developed an APT Report on IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ASSOCIATED

WITH USE OF THE BAND 698-806 MHZ BY MOBILE SERVICES in 2011.

Officially standardised by 3GPP as Band 28

APT Wireless Group 700 MHZ Band Plan

The APT Report on IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH USE OF THE BAND
698-806 MHZ BY MOBILE SERVICES in 2011.

It is a very detailed and very technical report some 28 pages long. A copy of
the report can be found at:
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/AsiaPacific/Pages/Events/201
5/July-ITU-APT-Fiji/Pacific-SM-Training-2015.aspx

This report has been adopted by many administrations since that

time.

SOUTH ASIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATORS'

COUNCIL (SATRC)

The South Asian Telecommunications Regulators' Council (SATRC) consists of

nine regulatory bodies from South Asian countries. The countries are
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

In May 2013, SATRC endorsed countries the adoption of the APT 700 MHz
frequency band plan (2 x 45 MHz), as included in the latest version of ITU-R
Recommendation M.1036-4 on IMT frequency arrangements.

The SATRC members, are committed to working as equal partners in order to

fulfill the tremendous potential of the APT 700 MHz Band Plan and to
accelerate transition from analog to digital broadcast TV services in 700
MHz band (where applicable) which will free up this spectrum for its highest
value use, which is the mobile broadband.

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and

Singapore to Align With the APT 700 MHz Band Plan

At the Infocomm Media Business Exchange 2013 , Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia,

Malaysia and Singapore pledged commitment to align with the Asia Pacific
Telecommunity 700 MHz (APT 700 MHz) Band Plan

Indonesia recognised the demand for greater mobile broadband services

flexibility and has strongly supported the APT 700 MHz band plan since the
initiation of band harmonisation in Asia Pacific. Dr Muhammad Budi Setiawan,
Director General of DG SDPPI noted, "This is also in line with the current
regulation of our Master Plan for Digital Television, which allocates the 694-806
MHz for digital dividend in Indonesia."

The APT 700 MHz band plan aims to align and optimise the use of the freed
broadcast spectrum after the analogue switch off, allowing greater flexibility for
the deployment of mobile broadband services, using technologies such as 4G

Pacific to align with the APT 700 MHz Band Plan

In 2013, the 6th APT Policy and Regulation Forum for Pacific (PRFP) issued a
Policy Statement to align with the Asia Pacific Telecommunity 700 MHz (APT
700 MHz) Band Plan.

The membership of PRFP consists of the following sixteen countries in the

Pacific region which are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau,
Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The PRFP noted that the frequency range below 1GHz is preferred for
deployment of cellular mobile systems due to its favourable propagation
characteristics. It is particularly suitable for rural or sparsely populated areas
where the cost constraints warrant installation of low cost infrastructure. The
propagation characteristic of the 700 MHz band enables larger cell size and
wider coverage due to lower foliage attenuation.

Global acceptance of the APT 700 MHz

Band Plan (as at 2013)

Acknowledgment to Telstra

Implementation of Digital Terrestrial

Television
Since 2012, several Pacific Islands countries started, with strong support from
the ITU, the migration process from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television
(DTTV). These countries include Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and Vanuatu.

The preparatory work includes the band planning, research and feasibility.

The reasons for moving to Digital services include:

More efficient use of the spectrum freeing up spectrum for IMT

Better quality of broadcast

Eventually analogue content and technology will be obsolete leading to issues on

the supply side if the migration is not made.

Fiji have already successfully conducted a trial

Thank You
stuartd48@gmail.com