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WiMAX and the Canadian Radio Spectrum

April 28, 2006

Angela ChoiCommunications Engineer

Pacific RegionIndustry Canada

choi.angela@ic.gc.ca

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Content

• Industry Canada and Spectrum Management

• WiMAX and standards/policies on the frequency bands of interest

• Status of these frequency bands

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Who is Industry Canada

• Federal Department of Industry reporting to the Minister of Industry

• The mandate is to “foster a growing competitive, knowledge-based Canadian economy…”

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Industry Canada

• The Minister of Industry has responsibility over more than 60 Acts, including the Radiocommunication Act (RA).

• The Minister has the power to ensure the

“orderly development and efficient operation of radiocommunication in Canada”

(Radio) Spectrum Management

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Spectrum Management

Industry Canada:

– Participates in international frequency allocation work;

– Establishes domestic frequency allocation and spectrum utilization policies;

– Introduces legislation, regulations, equipment standards, licensing policies and procedures;

– Issues Radio authorization;

– Ensures Compliance; and

– Performs other duties related to spectrum management.

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WiMAX

• “Equipment is certified to conform with IEEE 802.16 and ETSI HiperMAN standards”, and

• “Will provide broadband access for

– Fixed, portable, nomadic and eventually mobile use.”

• System profiles address the spectrum allocations, channeling plans, and standards of different countries.

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Radio Spectrum and WiMAX

• WiMAX has profiles for fixed systems:

– 5.8 GHz for licence-exempt equipment.– 2.5 and 3.5 GHz for licensed equipment, and

• In the near future, profiles for fixed and mobile systems:

– 2.3 and 2.5 GHz licensed equipment.

• Other possible bands of interest?

– 4.9 GHz, 700 MHz, and others...

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FACT

“Industry Canada does not designate spectrum for specific technologies, such as WiMAX, but WiMAX can be used in any band, subject to compliance with the technical limits.”

source: “The Implications of WiMAX for Competition and Regulation”, a report by the Working Party on Telecommunication and Information Services Policies, OECD, March 2, 2006.

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Canadian Rules on 5 GHz

The primary allocation varies by sub-bands, but the footnotes C39A and C39B allocate these frequencies to licence-exempt local area network use. In Canada, the spectrum policy for this band is SP-5150, while the equipment standard is RSS-210.

5470 - 5725 5725 – 5825 MHz5250 – 5350

RADIOLOCATION

EARTH-EXPLORATION SATELLITE,

MOBILE,RADIOLOCATION,

SPACE RESEARCH

EARTH-EXPLORATION SATELLITE,

MARITIME NAVIGATION,MOBILE,

RADIOLOCATION

PR

IMA

RY

AL

LO

CA

TIO

N

5825 - 5850

ISM

5150 – 5250indoors only

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Canadian Rules on 2.3 GHzWCS

2345 – 2360 MHz

PRIMARYALLOCATION

SYSTEMPLAN

EQUIPMENTSTANDARD

FIXEDMOBILE

RADIOLOCATION

SRSP-302.3

RSS-195

WCS2305 – 2320 MHz

FIXEDMOBILE

RADIOLOCATION

SRSP-302.3

RSS-195

SatelliteDigital radioTerrestrialRepeater

frequencies in Canada

US-DARS2320 - 2345

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Canadian Rules on 2.3 GHz

• One paired blocks (15 + 15 MHz), although the licensees may divide them into sub-blocks.

• WCS operators have to consider the presence of satellite radio terrestrial repeaters and vice versa. Provisional coordination procedure has been published.

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Canadian Rules on 3.5 GHzFWA core spectrum

3475 – 3650 MHz3650 – 3700 MHz TBD

3400 – 3475 MHzReserved forradiolocation

350

0

340

0

370

0

PRIMARYALLOCATION

SYSTEMPLAN

EQUIPMENTSTANDARD

FIXEDFIXED-SATELLITE(3500 – 3700 MHz)

SRSP-303.4

RSS-192

FIXEDRADIOLOCATION(3450 – 3500 MHz)

US ALLOCATION: RADIOLOCATION Licensed BWS in the U.S.

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Canadian Rules on 3.5 GHz

• 7 × 25 MHz channels in 3475 – 3650 MHz :

– Three paired blocks and one single block.

• 3.5 GHz licensees have to expect occasional interference from U.S. radiolocation devices (radars) in areas close to the border and in Canadian coastal waters.

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Status of 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz

• After two auctions in 2004 and 2005, 32 entities were awarded 840 spectrum licences offered in the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands in Canada.

• Some licensees are deploying broadband wireless service using pre-WiMAX and WiMAX equipment.

• The Department is still to consult on 3650 – 3700 MHz.

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Canadian Rules on 2.5 GHz*MCS

2500 – 2596 MHzMDS

2596 – 2686 MHzMCS/MDS

2686 - 2690MCS/MDS

2150 - 2160

BROADCASTINGFIXED

MOBILE

EQUIPMENTSTANDARD

RSS-193TBD

RSS-193TBD

BPR-6TBD

RSS-193TBD

FIXEDMOBILE

SRSP-302.5TBD

FIXEDMOBILE

FIXEDMOBILE

PRIMARYALLOCATION

SYSTEMPLAN

SRSP-302.5TBD

SRSP-302.5TBD

SRSP-302.5TBD

*New rules were introduced in March 2006.

International Allocation for IMT-2000AWS Upper

2110

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Status of the 2.5 GHz MCS band

• In 2001, Industry Canada conducted competitive licensing for 2.5 GHz MCS spectrum in the country:

– Special provision was given to Manitoba, which already had many interactive ITV systems in use.

– Three licensees were awarded spectrum licences.

– All provinces and territories are covered.

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Status of the 2.5 GHz MDS bands

• MDS is broadcasting so each operation must be authorized by the CRTC and certified to be technically acceptable) by Industry Canada:

– Authorizations are site specific and for estimated coverage areas; and

– 11 licensees hold authorizations to serve 86 communities.

• Some MDS operators are providing broadband internet service using excess capacity in their MDS spectrum.

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New Canadian Policy on 2.5 GHz

• On March 30, 2006, Industry Canada published a new policy on the 2.5 GHz spectrum.

– Market force will determine if the spectrum will be used for fixed, mobile or broadcasting.

– Mobile spectrum is valuable and implementation of mobile service justifies reassessment of the licensing requirements.

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New Canadian Policy on 2.5 GHz Cont.

• MDS operator may continue to offer broadcasting service, or apply to convert to MCS operation

• MCS operation must be fixed ONLY, no mobile service allowed.

• If an operator wants to offer mobile service, the operator must return 1/3 of spectrum to IC for auction.

• Unassigned MDS spectrum will be auctioned.

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TBD Canadian Rules on 2.5 GHz

• Channelling plan may be harmonized with the U.S., where appropriate:

– Currently the channelling plan is for 6 MHz channels for 2500 – 2686 MHz.

– The new FCC plan (for BRS and EBS) is a mix of 1, 4, 5.5 and 6 MHz channels for 2495 – 2690 MHz.

• Licensing policy and procedures, including details of auctions.

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Other Bands of Interest

• The WiMax Forum has commented on the Department’s consultation paper on 4.9 GHz.

• Upper 700 MHz (TV channels 60 – 69) is another band that is considered a potential candidate for WiMAX?

• The spectrum policies on these two bands are still to be decided in Canada.

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4.9 GHz in Canada

• In 2005, Industry Canada gazetted a proposal on public safety fixed and mobile broadband in 4940 – 4990 MHz, and requested comments on:

• Eligibility criteria, including three categories of public safety organizations;

• Technical criteria, including a band plan of 1 and 5 MHz blocks;• Spectrum licence fees of $0.0048 per population, and service

standard of four weeks;• The need for interoperable frequencies; • The need to protect radio astronomy frequencies; and• Other issues.

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Upper 700 MHz in Canada

Ch 63 Ch 68

746 MHz 806 MHz764 – 770 794 – 800

TV Channels 60 – 69

EQUIPMENTSTANDARD

BPR-7In draft

BROADCASTINGMOBILE

PRIMARYALLOCATION

SPECTRUMPOLICY

SP-746

US Band PlanUS Band Plan

SYSTEMPLAN

In draft

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700 MHz in Canada

• No sunset date yet for NTSC TV in Canada.

– There are 49 incumbent TV stations in channels 60 – 69, 31 of them are low power TV.

• A moratorium is in place for TV in channels 63 and 68, which are set aside for public safety mobile use.

• The Department is still to consult on channels 64 and 69.

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700 MHz for Broadband Use?

• In the U.S., the sunset date for NTSC TV is now set to Feb 2009.

• Ch. 63, 64, 68 and 69 have been designated as public safety spectrum in the U.S. since 1997.

– Current FCC channelling plan is divided into narrow band (6.25 kHz) and wide band (50 kHz) segments.

– In March 2006, the FCC proposed to rechannelize these frequency bands to accommodate broadband communications.

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For more information on spectrum management in Canada, visit:

strategis.ic.gc.ca/spectrum

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