Registration of C-band Earth Stations to Acquire Protection from Terrestrial Interference

Vicky Wong Senior Communications Systems Engineer

Objectives

• Introduce a method, earth station registration, to help protect against interference from terrestrial services

• Explain the importance and encourage earth station registration

• Give suggestions on what kind of earth stations should be registered

• Introduce strategies to minimise the number of registration without compromising on the required protection level

• Introduce the registration procedures

2

Why C-band is so Important for Fixed Satellite Service (FSS)?

• Rain fade High rain intensity in large portions of Asia Low link availability at higher frequencies

• Regional Coverage

Typical C-Band Coverage

Typical Ku-Band Coverage

3

Threat from Terrestrial Wireless Services to C-band Fixed Satellite Service

• Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) • International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) • Other Future Mobile Services, etc.

Coexistence of these services with FSS in the same geographical area or in any portion of

the C-band is not feasible.

4

One Way to Protect C-band FSS from Terrestrial Wireless Service – Earth Station Registration Earth Station Registration

Internationally Conferred international recognition and protection from terrestrial wireless services deployed in other countries

Domestically

Protection requirements of the earth station would receive better recognition and attention from the local regulatory authority

How does Earth Station Registration help?

Registration is free of charge as of today

5

AsiaSat’s Actions on Earth Station Registration

• Some C-band earth stations in AsiaSat Tai Po Earth Station have been registered

• To ensure AsiaSat’s C-band earth stations are well protected from terrestrial interference

• Encourage broadcasters to join earth station registration • Anticipating more and more important C-band earth stations are protected from

terrestrial interference

• Target: By working together to protect the C-band spectrum for Fixed Satellite Service from unacceptable terrestrial interference

6

Who should do the Earth Station Registration?

Earth station owner

Pay TV operator

Service license holder

Broadcaster

Teleport operator

Cable TV operator

7

Quick checkup diagram to identify the earth station that needs registration

8

Sample coordination contour diagram

Location of registered earth station

Example shown: ES in Thailand (THA) can claim international protection from Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam

Effective coordination contour: where an Earth Station (ES) can claim International protection

9

Registration – ASAP, if needed

• Have registration done better before deployment of services like BWA/IMT in its own/neighbouring country

• such that the protection requirements of your earth station could be taken into account by Administrations

• Note: One of the requirements for Earth Station

registration is to complete coordination with the countries identified in coordination contour

10

Strategies in Registering an Earth Station

• Inefficient and impractical to notify all C-band FSS receiving earth stations into the MIFR

Target: Minimise the number of Registrations without compromising on the required protection levels!!!

11

Scenario 1: Large number of earth stations scattered across the country

Coordination area for a FSS receiving earth station is larger than a circle with a radius of 360km centered at that earth station Registering one earth station every ~200km apart along the country border is enough to get operational protection For domestic protection purposes, it may be desirable to register earth stations located in or close to large cities

Strategy: Register one earth station along the country border every ~200km apart.

12

Scenario 2: An earth station intended to receive signals from more than one satellite (i.e. from more than one

associated space station)

Strategy: Register the earth station for the associated space station with the widest downlink C-band frequency range.

e.g. Register this earth station with associated space station “Satellite A” because Satellite A has wider downlink frequency range

13

Scenario 3: A group of earth stations located close to each other (e.g. <100km away from each other)

Criteria: 1. Lowest maximum isotropic gain (or smallest ant. diameter)

2. Operate on the widest downlink C-band frequency range 3. With an unobstructed view in all directions (lower elevation

angle and thus larger coordination contour)

Strategy: Register the earth station which could receive the widest C-band frequency range and has the lowest maximum isotropic gain (or smallest antenna diameter) 14

Registration of the Earth Station to the ITU

4. Registration Success

3. Notification of Earth Station

2. Coordination of Earth Station

1. Preparation of required file for coordination and notification

• ITU Software required for earth station registration: 1. Space Capture (SpaceCap) 2. Space Validation (SpaceVal) 3. GIBC

15

1. Completed AP4 forms:

• A database file to be created by software Space Capture with required specific earth station and associated satellite network filing parameter filled in • Required parameters including the geographical location, location of the satellite, frequency band, antenna pattern…etc • The completed AP4 forms is needed for both Coordination and Notification

1. Preparation of Required File for Coordination and Notification

Contact your satellite operator for help if you have any question about the parameters in relating to associated satellite network filing.

16

2. Validation result of the

AP4 form

• The database file containing the AP4 information should be validated using the SpaceVal software to ensure the correctness & completeness.

• The validation result is needed for Notification

1. Preparation of Required File for Coordination and Notification (cont’d)

3. Coordination Contour Diagram

• Generated by GIBC software • Identify potentially affected countries (inside coordination contour) • Coordination is needed with those identified countries

• The coordination contour diagram is needed for both Coordination and Notification

17

2. Coordination of Earth Station

• 1. Coordination Request Files to be sent from your administration (local regulatory authority

where the specific earth station located) to all the affected administration(s) identified in the coordination contour diagram:

• 2. Undergo coordination process • 3. Coordination completed

1. The completed AP4 forms

2. Earth station coordination contours diagram

18

3. Notification of Specific Earth Station

• Administration needs to submit the following information to the ITU via email and confirm the submission with a fax within 7 days:

1. The completed AP4 forms

2. Earth station coordination contours diagram

3. The validation results of the AP4 forms

Notification can be done ONLY after coordination is completed

19

4. Registration Success

• Completion of Coordination and Notification • Recorded in the Master International Frequency Register (MIFR)

in the ITU database • Obtain international (and probably domestic) recognition and

protection

Registration in ITU

BWA, IMT Other future mobile service

20

Conclusion and Recommendation

Recommendation: Register your earth stations ASAP if any of your C-band receiving earth station is located close to the country border and carries important missions where interference would bring serious impact or could affect a large number of users

Conclusion: Earth station registration is a good way to protect C-band Fixed Satellite Service from terrestrial interference

21