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AT4 wireless is pleased to bring you its Regulatory Newsletter covering the latest changes on regulatory issues: standards, approval procedures, spectrum, technical requirements for new technologies, licensing information...
Australia: Proposed changes to labelling arrangements for electrical and electronic devices
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Back to the top Brazil: Entry into force of the new SAR Standard On September 17 2009, the Brazilian Regulator, ANATEL, published the Resolution nº 533, of 10 September 2009, passing the "Standard for Certification and Approval of telecommunications equipment regarding aspects of the Assessment of Specific Absorption Rate" The entry into force of the provisions contained in this standard was 90 days after the date of publication of this resolution, so that, since December 16 2009 it is mandatory the new Resolution 533 as established by ANATEL, being applicable for all equipments that are in the following situation:
Back to the top European Union: New list of harmonized standards On December 2 2009 it was published in the Official Journal of the European Union the list of R&TTE harmonised standards in the framework of the implementation of Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their. This text was annulled and replaced by the Corrigendum published on December 15, 2009 (2009/C 303/15). Among others, some standards have been included in the new list of harmonized standards:
France: Draft of the order relating to the display of the SAR of radio equipment October 29 2009 was the reception date of the notification number 2009/580/F, issued by the French Ministry for Health and Sports, informing to the European Union Members of the publication of the draft Decree relating to the display of the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of radio equipment. The products covered by this Decree are radio equipment, specifically aimed at mobile telephones. The purpose of this draft decree is to make compulsory to display the SAR of radio equipment in all retail outlets and in advertising. At present, the precautionary principle is applied to mobile telephones. The most recent opinion of the French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (AFSSET), dated June 2005, recommended making it compulsory to display the SAR in mobile telephone retail outlets. This measure is also a recurrent demand from consumer and family protection organisations. The SAR value is given in apparatus user guides (according to the Order of 8 October 2003). To improve consumer information, this Decree calls for the extension of this display to retail outlets. This measure is all the most justified as the SAR is, at the present time, the only information that can be provided to consumers to demonstrate the maximum levels of electromagnetic fields to which they are exposed Related to this Decree, the French Ministry for Health and Sports also issued the notification 2009/581/F informing about the draft order relating to the display of the SAR of radio equipment in retail outlets. This Order, created pursuant to the abovementioned Decree, aims to lay down the practical terms for displaying the SAR of mobile telephones in all retail outlets and in advertising. Furthermore, an explanation of what the SAR means shall be given. Member States can submit comments to these documents no later than February 1, 2010. Back to the top World-wide: Changes in ITE Safety standards On December 1st, 2010, the Information Technology Equipment (ITE) safety standard UL60950-1/first edition is changing to UL60950-1/second edition and the EN 60950-1:2001 is changing to EN 60950-1:2006. Due to this, test certificates and reports against EN 60950-1:2001 or older versions will expire on that date and new certificates and reports will become mandatory. Regarding UL certificates, they will remain valid; nevertheless, any change to the file will be done only to latest standard version of UL60950-1, being an update required in order to maintain compliance with UL60950-1 latest version. Back to the top Latest news on Broadband Radio Access Network: WiMAX™ and LTE™ Bahrain: Public consultation on Spectrum Release Plan The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority issued on December 10, 2009, a public consultation document on Telecommunications Radio Frequency Spectrum. The documentation of the public consultation includes a summary of the current spectrum allocations and asks about the factors to be considered in designing a Spectrum Release Plan. Among other issues, as the compensation for current users and the future use of several frequency bands (as the 790MHz–862MHz band for broadcasting, fixed, mobile, converged services or other applications), the allocation the 2.3 GHz band for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and the 2.6 GHz band for FWA/LTETM has been identified as candidates to be included in a new version of the National Frequency Plan. The deadline for sending comments is February 14, 2010. Back to the top Brazil: Publication of the Resolution Nº 501 revoking the use of some frequency bands for mobile services Brazilian regulator, ANATEL, published on December 11 2009 in its Official Journal the Resolution Nº 501, of 10 April 2008, revoking the Resolution Nº 227 of 21 June 2000, assigning the 1710-1755 MHz, 1775-1785 MHz, 1805 -1850 MHz and 1870-1880 MHz frequency bands for deployment of land mobile telecommunications and 1885-1900 MHz, 1950-1980 MHz and 2140-2170 MHz frequency bands for the deployment of mobile telecommunications according to IMT-2000 specifications. Back to the top Ireland: New consultation on liberalising the future use of the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands December 21 2009, is the publication date of the document No 09/99 with the title 'Liberalising the Future Use of the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz Spectrum Bands'. It is the response to Consultation 09/14 and a further consultation. Nowadays, 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands are designated for use by GSM services, and spectrum in these bands has been assigned under licence to three Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Under European law, the Irish regulator (ComReg) must now determine how to liberalise the use of this spectrum, so that services other than GSM may be offered in these bands. ComReg must also decide what to do with the spectrum currently assigned to these MNOs once the licences expire, which in two cases will occur soon, in May 2011. By liberalising use of the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, ComReg can make it possible for mobile broadband services to be offered in future within these 'lower' bands, alongside or instead of GSM services, according to the needs of the market. This is especially significant in view of the superior propagation characteristics of the 900 MHz frequency band, ensuring wider area coverage and better building penetration, and thus offering the prospect of mobile broadband services being more widely available nationally. Liberalisation will also facilitate the introduction of more advanced '4G' services, as these become commercially viable and once they are technically approved for use in these bands. Wider availability of broadband, and greater scope for innovation, are two important benefits of liberalisation, with the potential to contribute significantly to the development of the 'Smart Economy'. In order to collect the most information as possible, ComReg held two major public consultations over the last 16 months (ComReg documents 08/57 and 09/14); conducted a further set of bilateral discussions with; sought expert technical advice on the options available for assigning spectrum; and researched in detail the approaches being adopted by other EU authorities. The current document presents ComReg's considered response to the matters raised in Consultation 09/14, and sets out their proposed overall approach to liberalisation of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, and in detail ComReg's proposed approach to future spectrum assignment at 900 MHz. ComReg intends to move forward as rapidly as possible to enable the use of liberalised 900 MHz spectrum band in support of advanced mobile services and in the best interests of consumers. All comments are welcome by 12 February 2010. Having analysed and considered the comments received, ComReg will review the subject matter and publish a report on the consultation. Back to the top Lithuania: New version of the National Radio Frequency Allocation Table Through the notification number 2009/655/LT, dated on December 8 2009, Member States of the European Union were informed of the new draft version of the National Radio Frequency Allocation Table. There have been several changes regarding the previous version. It is worth to mention the allocation of the 2300-2400 MHz, 2500-2690 MHz and the 3410-3600 MHz bands to IMT mobile services, with priority over the fixed services. The stand still period ends on March 9, 2009. Back to the top United Kingdom: Information update on the sensitivity of radars to future transmissions in the 2.6 GHz band The United Kingdom regulator, Ofcom, published, on December 11 2009, an information update on the sensitivity of radars in the 2.7GHz band to future transmissions in the 2.6 GHz band. This issue was raised in the April, 2008, Statement on the 2.6 GHz award. Following this, more evidence became available and Ofcom published an update in March 2009 and, in June 2009, workshop material was posted on the Ofcom website. Since then, further investigative work has been carried out by Ofcom, the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), MCA (Mobile Communications on board Aircraft) and MOD (Ministry Of Defence). This latest update gives an overview of that work and Ofcom's proposals for future handling and includes de following reports:
Back to the top Switzerland: Analysis report on the public consultation about the re-tender for and award of mobile radio frequencies The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) published the document 'Analysis report on the public consultation concerning the re-tender for and award of mobile radio frequencies in Switzerland by 1 January 2014', on December 15, 2009. OFCOM, on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission (ComCom), accomplished a public consultation on the possibilities of allocating mobile radio frequencies which are currently free or which will become available in 2013 and 2016. In this way OFCOM intended to give interested parties the opportunity of commenting and seeks to determine the requirements and intentions of the affected players in the market. The consultation relates to frequencies in the GSM and UMTS mobile radio bands (900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz) and frequencies in the so-called "digital dividend" frequency band 790 to 862 MHz which will become available for mobile radio services by 2015 at the latest. This analysis summarizes the results of the public consultation. It's worth to mention that the re-tender procedure for all mobile radio frequencies (in particular a re-tender for the GSM900/1800 bands) seems to be rejected by the majority of Swiss mobile radio network operators and their industry associations. According to their comments, such an award would be economically questionable, would represent an "ex post" intervention in the market and would be incompatible with article 1 of the Telecommunications Act (TCA). Instead, these parties are demanding a renewal/extension of the existing licences for at least 10 years, especially for the frequencies already allocated in the GSM bands (900 MHz, 1800 MHz), although opinions vary regarding the range of frequencies to be allocated, particularly in the 900 MHz band. Others submissions, however, expressly favour the intended re-award by means of an auction. On the one hand, a re-tender would enable a new telecommunications service provider (TSP) to enter the market and on the other hand the existing licensees would be able to re-evaluate their required frequency spectrum and adapt this to market conditions. In relation to the unallocated frequencies, the majority favour an auction. Other topic mentioned in is that LTE™ (Long Term Evolution) is seen by the majority as the technology for the further expansion of networks to provide data services. One submission favours WiMAX™. It is becoming apparent that the evolutionary path of networks will involve fast-growing data traffic on additional frequencies in the UMTS core band and in the 2.6 GHz extension band. In the medium term, at least parts of the 1800 MHz band and the 800 MHz frequencies will be used to extend area coverage. The commercial roll-out of LTE™ and the associated adequate penetration of LTE™ terminals in Switzerland are predicted to take place around 2012. The free choice of technology is therefore welcomed. Other matter discussed in this report is the opinion of the cable network industry about the release of the 790-862 MHz frequency range (the digital dividend) for mobile radio services. It fears severe interference effects on its cable network infrastructure and on its customers' receivers (TV receivers, set-top boxes, internet modems, etc.). Reference is made to German and Austrian studies which have already investigated and demonstrated this interference problem. In order to avoid interference, technical limitations on the implementation of new mobile radio frequencies or total relinquishment of mobile radio services in this frequency range are being demanded. After this report, a final decision about how to proceed is expected to be taken by ComCom. Back to the top Latest news on Wireless Local Area Network technologies United Kingdom: Statement on Ofcom's decision for a licence exempt approach for Fixed Wireless Systems in the 60 GHz Band The Office of Communications (Ofcom) published, on December 11 2009, a statement presenting Ofcom's decision to go ahead with opening the spectrum in the 59-64 GHz band for Fixed Wireless Systems (FWS) and to combine this with the existing 57-59 GHz band under one overall licence exempt authorization approach for FWS. The decision creates one contiguous and flexible block of spectrum providing 6.8 GHz of available bandwidth (57.1 - 63.9 GHz) taking into account two 100 MHz guard bands. The large bandwidth available makes the new 57.1 - 63.9 GHz band (the 60 GHz band) suitable for very high capacity, short hop FWS (e.g. 100MBit/s ~ 1GBit/s Ethernet systems). In addition the technical conditions that will be implemented along with the high propagation attenuation around 60 GHz will allow sharing between a wide range of applications (e.g. FWS, ITS, Wireless HD and others). The next steps to be followed are to implement the licence exempt authorisation approach, and to permit access to the full 57.1-63.9 GHz band for FWS applications, so that, it is needed to amend the current exemption regulation, the Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations, 2003 (SI 2003/74). To facilitate this, Ofcom intends to link these changes to the Ofcom licence exemption review currently due to start in winter 2009/2010 which will consolidate all Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (WT Act) exemption regulations. Ofcom indicative timescale for implementing the proposed authorization approach is as follows:
Back to the top Latest news on RFID technology Japan: Partial revision of regulation related to radio enforcement and radio equipment The World Trade Organization (WTO) issued the notification number G/TBT/N/JPN/319, on December 9 2009, informing about partial revision of regulation related to radio enforcement and radio equipment, with the aim of amending the regulations for RFID tag systems that use 950-958MHz frequency. Low-power Radio Systems Committee (Telecommunication Tech Sub Council , Telecommunication Council ) has considered the technical conditions of new Middle-power passive tag system and high degree use of existing 950MHz band RFID tag system including expansion of frequency band, and has decided to amend the regulation accordingly. New regulation is expected to come into force from April 2010 on. Back to the top Other news of interest Switzerland: Electromagnetic compatibility responsibility transferred to OFCOM From 1 January 2010, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) will take up from the Federal Office of Energy the responsibility for the enforcement of the Ordinance on Electromagnetic Compatibility (OEMC). OFCOM will therefore be responsible for issues relating to interference due to electromagnetic fields. In the middle of November, the Federal Council gave the green light for this transfer. It also approved the complete revision of the ordinance to harmonise it with the European legislation. By clarifying scope and technical standards, the revision of the ordinance on electromagnetic compatibility will make it possible to improve market surveillance. It lays down more detailed and clearer requirements for all equipment and fixed installations (television sets, household electrical appliances, etc.) which may be sources of interferences or which may be affected by them. The Ordinance relates to placing them on the market, their free circulation and their use in Switzerland. Furthermore, conformity assessment will henceforth be the sole responsibility of the manufacturer, who will no longer have to involve a third party for this task. By adopting the text of the OEMC, the Federal Council is harmonising Swiss legislation with that of the European Community. Thus the import and export of equipment between Switzerland and the European Union countries will be simplified. Since OFCOM is already responsible for issues relating to the electromagnetic compatibility of telecommunications installations and for research into and elimination of interference which they may cause, it seemed logical for the Office to be responsible also for protecting radiocommunication services from electromagnetic interferences caused by electrical equipment. At the same time, OFCOM is taking over market surveillance for products affected by the OECM, a task previously entrusted to the Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (ESTI) by the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. This hand-over will allow simpler and faster procedures in the event of interference. Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) deals with the parasitic electromagnetic fields caused by electrical equipment or with their effects on the equipment. However, it does not deal with the consumer safety of equipment. Back to the top |
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