CHAPTER 8

Reforming frequency management Airwaves for everyone

The radio spectrum is a scarce public resource— yet the need for frequencies is growing constantly. Microwave communications, from mobile telephones to satellite communications, are multiplying, to the benefit of the public. The media puts the spotlight on users' new freedom to travel, and the expectation of consumers today is that communications will always be handy: this current craze is better testimony than any market study of the desire of contemporary society for wireless communications.

Civil communications are, however, far from the only users of the radio spectrum. National defence and the audiovisual sector take up large parts of the spectrum, as well as many other users with less extensive needs, but for whom the radio is an indispensable working tool, for example, aeronautical navigation, space research, and radio astronomy.

Breakdown of frequency distribution in France by user

1. 30-960 MHz band

CSA (broadcasting): 41%

Armed Forces: 29%

DGPT (civil communications): 12%

CSA/DGPT shared bands: 5%

CSA/Armed Forces shared bands: 5%

Other users (Ministry of the Interior, Weather, Civil Aviation, etc.): 8.5%

1. 960-3400 MHz band

Armed Forces: 21.5%

Civil Aviation/Armed Forces shared band: 17%

DGPT (civil communications): 9.5%

CSA (broadcasting): 3%

Other users and shared bands: 48%

All these users must coexist, and it is increasingly common to see systems sharing the same frequency band using complex coordination procedures and highly developed compatibility calculation methods. These spectrum-sharing procedures are developed by international organisations like the ITU and must be more finely tuned by national authorities. Sophisticated technical methods are needed in order to constantly improve the yield of the spectrum.

A new organisation is needed in France

France is lagging behind in this race for efficiency. Its current organisational structure, built around the Telecommunications Coordination Committee (CCT — Comité de coordination des télécommunications), which co-ordinates a large amount of interministerial work, is no longer sufficient. The stakes are too high and technical developments too rapid for simple committees of experts who gather now and then to be able to handle the challenges. This was demonstrated a long time ago by a series of reports, which unfortunately were not followed up.

However, in 1994 the situation improved after a new report filed in February by Pierre Huet, of the Conseil d'Etat.

The main measure advocated by this report was the creation on the British model of a radio frequency management agency with the ability both to oversee policy on the use of frequencies for the benefit of all users and to handle the increasingly technical tasks required for frequency management, based on sharing available frequencies.

Simultaneously, the report proposed that a spectrum usage fee be extended to all those using the spectrum, which is considered to be a national asset. This proposal is also aimed at bringing more economic rationale into the use of the microwave system. To date, only the telecommunications network administrators authorised under the provisions of Articles L33-1 and L33-2 of the Code of the P&T pay for using their frequencies. These are public access networks, like, for example, the GSM mobile telephone networks of France Télécom and SFR, or private networks like those of the EDF or the thousands of networks of ambulance companies, repair services and public transport operators. The great majority of other users — defence, audiovisual, and different government departments — do not pay, which does not encourage them to be efficient users of bandwidth. The financial sums gathered in this way should make it possible for the agency to operate and to accumulate funds for managing the spectrum, which should help users reorganise their systems on more suitable frequencies. As the DGPT currently lacks any such management funds, it is currently required to organise financial compensation on a case by case basis. This is how it carried out the reorganisation of the 400 MHz bandwidth.

A frequency management agency?

As soon as the Huet report was submitted to the Prime Minister, it provoked great interministerial interest. This subject is of great importance not only for all frequency administrators and the different ministries, but also for the High Council for Broadcast (CSA — Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel). While everyone was convinced of the general need for such a proposal, each entity wanted to preserve its own authority, particularly any powers granted by law.

In the autumn of 1994, the inter-ministerial effort led to a text proposing the creation of an agency, a public administration organisation under the dual authority of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Budget. This dual supervision reflected the interministerial nature of this new entity, whose executive board would consist of representatives of user ministries and the CSA.

The agency would carry out two types of activities:

• activities of an interministerial nature: analysing future trends, planning, engineering studies, international activity and other activity for which it is legally responsible,
• operational activities that are conferred upon it by agreement between ministries or other external organisations wishing to benefit from its expertise and capabilities. For example, the Ministry in charge of telecommunications wishes to confer upon the agency the activity that is currently the responsibility of the National Radiocommunications Service (SNR — Service national des radiocommunications).

Finally, this draft outlines a definition of the general usage fee. Based on the national table of frequencies, which divides the spectrum between the main users, scenarios were analysed that simulate the potential financial contributions of each user. The base model uses a fee that is linked with the frequency band allocated, and which is digressive relative to the centre frequency for bandwidths above 1 GHz. This model seems to satisfy most users.

If this agency is actually created, the contribution of the Directorate General of Posts and Telecommunications (DGPT — Direction Générale des Postes et Télécommunications) will have been important. This is why intense efforts were made to bring into this process anyone likely to be affected by the agency's creation and who could be influenced to take part in it. This was particularly the case with the SNR and personnel from the DGPT in charge of frequency management.

The work involved in this process was presented publicly to telecommunications players, particularly at the SIRCOM, the radiocommunications trade fair. There was a warm response to these proposals from the sector, as they reflect the general hopes for a more dynamic management of the spectrum.

The DGPT's information technology tools

The DGPT has developed its own management tools within the current organisational framework. Hence, the Radiocommunications Information System (SIR — Système Informatique des Radiocommunications) began operations in 1994. It is based on distributed architecture and includes 13 Unix-Oracle servers installed at the DGPT and in SNR regional centres around the country. These computers handle data files and software programs and can be accessed from 200 work stations linked by Ethernet local area networks. All the sites are connected by France Télécom Transpac and Transfix networks.

The year 1994 also saw the start-up of the "Réseaux" application, which is used to manage private radio networks, and the "Coordination" application, which is used to handle international procedures for sharing frequency between networks located near borders. In addition, the "Réseaux" application, together with the "Safari" application, forms a coherent system making it possible to determine the charges for spectrum use fees owed by operators of authorised private networks. With the start-up of the "Safari" application in 1994 as well, billing of private networks will begin in 1995.

There was also progress in the development of spectrum monitoring tools in 1994. More than 30 stations scattered around the country are now operational and are increasingly equipped with the most officient second-generation equipment. Together with the mobile centres, these stations, which are remote controlled by the regional radiocommunications services, make it possible to efficiently monitor the radio frequency spectrum and its use around the country.

These tools were put to remarkable use on an extraordinary occasion. In 1994, the ceremonies commemorating the Normandy landings were the occasion for mobilising most of the spectrum monitoring tools as well as the Radiocommunications Information System (SIR) database that contains all the information on authorised radiocommunication stations, all under the authority of the CCT. By using all these techniques, the radio space was cleaned up, as unauthorised users were detected and forced to cease transmission. Operational frequency plans for all the temporary transmissions by security services and the media were also drawn up using the computer systems.

Cleaning up the airwaves on the occasion of the ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landings at Normandy and in Provence:

a mixed bag

Unapproved wireless telephones, private radios using unauthorised microwave bands, pirate private networks, unauthorised television transmitters, unregistered RF microphones, unregistered GSM frequencies, etc.: the officials responsible for the interministerial coordination of the use of the radio frequency spectrum (including the teams from the DGPT and the SNR) had to clean up the spectrum on the occasion of the ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Allied landings in France.

Overall, the DGPT's tools proved adequate to the task and could form the core of the agency's information system. Their high quality caught the attention of other countries wanting to develop modern tools for managing the spectrum. A number of delegations of foreign experts have come to learn about the French accomplishments, and several DGPT engineers have gone to help foreign governments draw up their own proposals.

THE FREQUENCY ASSIGNMENT COMMISSION

(CAF — COMMISSION EXECUTIVE D'ASSIGNATION DES FREQUENCES)

As the executive organ of the Joint Frequency Commission, the CAF — whose chair and secretariat are provided by the DGPT — is responsible for assigning frequencies (channel by channel authorisation for use) to all users of the recognised spectrum at the national level in all shared bandwidths, for the registering of these assignments in the national frequency register (including 120,000 assignments and more than 220,000 radio links) and in the international frequency register (application of the "notification" procedure) kept up to date by the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, as well for handling complaints about interference between national users.

Assigning and recording frequencies

The CAF, which convenes monthly, held eleven sessions in 1994, during which:

• 14,068 frequency assignments of frequencies were recorded in the national register for terrestrial services.
• 34 requests for coordination of foreign Earth stations with French terrestrial services as well as two requests to co-ordinate proposed French satellite networks were examined.
• 22,114 frequency assignments, corresponding to the conclusions (favourable or unfavourable) given by the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau to notified frequency assignments, or which were the subject of repeated requests, were examined. The conclusions, which confer international status on the assignments, were also integrated into the national frequency register.

There was continued progress in updating the national register (processing assignments before 1965, for example). In 1994, this involved about 80,000 assignments.

A working group responsible for handling problems of interference between national users was set up: it carried out a quantitative and qualitative inventory of cases of interference and drew up an official complaints form.

Regulatory activities

The CAF secretariat drew up procedures for applying the regulatory provisions set out in the preamble of the national table for the distribution of frequencies published in the form of an Order dated 19/10/1994. These refer to:

• the national frequency coordination procedure,
• the handling of frequency assignments corresponding to uses by special services,
• the handling of assignments corresponding to a limited frequency band.

The CAF secretariat made proposals relating to the procedures for the international coordination of frequencies, as part of preparations for the World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC- 95) which in particular is to examine the report of the Voluntary Group of Experts on the simplification of the radio regulations.

Computerizing frequency management

The CAF secretariat drew up a draft schedule of terms and conditions for the purpose of computerizing the handling of the weekly circular published by the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (a document sent each week to member services), by which the Radiocommunications Bureau notifies the latter of the conclusions (favourable or unfavourable) which it has reached on notified frequency assignments.

The SNR and frequency management

Some indicators for 1994

The operational management of private radio networks is handled by the National Radiocommunications Service (SNR).

• On 31 December 1994, the SNR was managing, with the use of the "Réseaux" application of the radiocommunications information system (SIR), a total of 79,503 networks, including 67,472 active networks.
• The officials in charge of administering the networks carried out about 7,000 check-ups for compliance for creations, modifications, or annulments. They investigated 930 complaints concerning interference and settled 833.

Check-ups on equipment sales made it possible to identify about 4,000 pieces of unauthorised equipment, and the authorised officials booked more than 160 offenders.

• The regional services gave more than 2,000 examinations to amateur radio operators.
• The network for monitoring the spectrum consisted of 31 stations by the end of the year. These stations are remote controlled by the regional radiocommunications services (SRR). In 1994, the spectrum monitoring system was in use during 7,000 hours, including 3,600 hours of automatic scanning of the coverage area.
• The SNR handled the administrative management of 32 trunked radio networks set up on 184 sites, which on average had 5 channels per site and a capacity of 35 terminals per channel. Since the "Coordination" application was started up in June 1994, it handles requests for coordination for the telecommunications networks.

Chapter IX