ITU Settles on Additional Spectrum Allocation for IMT-2000
"The entire mobile industry was looking forward to clear signals from this conference to overcome the last hurdle for global wireless systems", said ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi. "This landmark decision now provides a stable basis for investors to back up the industry and gives a clear go-ahead to manufacturers to start building equipment for IMT-2000 for their customers—operators and consumers alike."
Terrestrial Bands
The additional bands identified for the terrestrial component of IMT-2000 are: 806 MHz–960 MHz, 1710 MHz–1885 MHz and 2500 MHz–2690 MHz. The bands that had initially been identified in 1992 and on the basis of which licensing has already been made, or is under way in many parts of the world, remained unchanged. Around 100 licenses are expected to be awarded worldwide by 2002. These bands are 1885 MHz–2025 MHz and 2110 MHz–2200 MHz. All bands globally identified for IMT-2000 have equal status.
Moreover, the conference identified the use of additional frequency bands for the satellite component of IMT-2000. This will afford an opportunity for satellite systems in these bands to provide IMT-2000 services, subject to the regulatory provisions applicable to the mobile-satellite service. The conference also requested that the ITU conduct a number of studies on the potential sharing and coordination between the satellite and terrestrial components of IMT-2000, between IMT-2000 and other mobile-satellite services operating in the same bands, broadcasting-satellite (TV and sound), terrestrial mobile services, and other high-density applications in other services such as point-to-multipoint communication and distribution systems.
Evolution
Studies on the evolution of IMT-2000, including the provision of IP-based applications and the impact on spectrum resources, will also be conducted in the next three years, along with the development of harmonized frequency arrangements aimed at achieving compatibility with existing frequency arrangements used by first- and second-generation systems.
In a further innovative decision, new provisions were put in place by WRC-2000 to allow High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) to act as platforms for IMT-2000 terrestrial component base stations.
The ITU has also been tasked to complete signaling and communication protocols for IMT-2000 and to develop a common worldwide intersystem numbering plan and related network capabilities to facilitate worldwide roaming.
Rural Areas
Another important area of discussion has been the need to address the requirements of developing countries and rural areas in their bid to join the global wireless information society. To this end, ITU has been asked to provide guidance to ensure that IMT-2000 can meet those needs.
"The manufacturers worldwide now know the limits of the frequencies for which the terminals must be designed, within a clearly defined spectrum environment," said Tim Hewitt, the IMT-2000 coordinator for Europe at WRC. "By having a limited number of globally identified bands, the manufacturers have the best opportunity to reduce costs via economies of scale."
IMT-2000 is intended to bring high-quality mobile multimedia telecommunications to a worldwide mass market based on a set of interfaces specified in the recently agreed ITU standard. The decision provides for a number of bands, available on a global basis for countries wishing to implement IMT-2000. Making use of existing mobile and mobile-satellite frequency allocations, the agreement also provides for a high degree of flexibility to allow operators to migrate toward IMT-2000 according to market and other national considerations. At the same time, it does not preclude the use of these bands for other types of mobile applications or by other services to which these bands are allocated—a key factor that enabled the consensus to be reached. While the decision of the conference globally provides for the licensing and manufacturing of IMT-2000 in the identified bands on a globally harmonized basis, each country will decide on the timing of availability at the national level according to need.
"One of the most important attributes of IMT-2000 will be the capability for global roaming with a single low-cost terminal, allowing people to do "anything, anytime, anywhere" in their day-to-day telecommunications context," Hewitt said.
The text of the resolutions and table of frequency allocations are found at http://www.itu.int/newsroom/wrc2000/releases/imt2000_res-bands.html
Edited by Winn Hardin, Wireless Design Online