Spectrum reform of 803–960 MHz band

The spectrum reform of the 803–960 MHz band has been finalised, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) releasing its decision paper ‘The ACMA’s long-term strategy for the 803–960 MHz band’. The paper outlines a range of reforms as well as a detailed timetable for their implementation.

The review began in 2011; however, this is the first major revision of 803–960 MHz band arrangements since 1992.

“The 803–960 MHz band has for a long time been at the forefront of mobile communications in Australia,” said Chris Chapman, ACMA chairman.

“It carried the first cellular mobile phone services to the community more than 20 years ago and, with a mix of legacy GSM and modern 4G mobile technologies, continues to form a core component of our enviable national mobile broadband environment.”

A key impact of the reforms will be the progressive clearance of some services over the next decade to allow for allocation of the 850 MHz ‘expansion’ band for mobile broadband services.

The new allocation will also make use of a vacant piece of former analog television spectrum (803–820 MHz) that was unable to be used as part of the 700 MHz ‘digital dividend’.

ACMA said apart from the major mobile broadband service providers, there is an established community of users in this band providing trunked land mobile services, fixed links, sound outside broadcast and studio-to-transmitter links, as well as there being myriad consumer devices that operate under the Low Interference Potential Devices (LIPD) class licence in the 915–928 MHz band.

The reforms will therefore have implications for some of these services while also making available additional spectrum under the LIPD (928–935 MHz).

“Industry has been reminding us that it wants certainty about arrangements in this band, and the ACMA has considered the long-term impact on incumbents affected by these decisions,” said Chapman.

“To make the transition easier, we’re putting in place a careful plan with timelines somewhat longer than we had previously foreshadowed. This will ease the impact on users needing to undertake equipment modifications or buy replacements to comply with the new arrangements.”

The first steps in reforming the band have already taken place, with ACMA replacing the channelling arrangement in the 900 MHz Band Plan by two Radiocommunications and Licensing Instructions: RALI MS 40 and RALI MS 41.

Reconfiguration of the 900 MHz GSM band, as well as a related proposal to implement a 1 MHz downshift of the 850 MHz band (to maximise the utility of the adjacent 900 MHz GSM band), remains a critical objective for the ACMA to deliver.

Chapman said further reform of the 900 MHz GSM band to optimise it for mobile broadband services will be pursued separately from the broader implementation plan set out in the decision paper.

The ACMA will be holding a series of targeted spectrum tune-ups in early 2016 to provide stakeholders with further details on the new arrangements and how they will be rolled out over the coming months.