Spectrum Regulation and Bandwidth
Written by Mike Cronk Monday, 16 January 2012 16:33
This article explores some of the issues facing administrations and poses some questions about what the broadcasters are doing to engage with the regulatory bodies.How many of the Boards of broadcasters take an active interest in the world of spectrum allocation and regulation? It’s not the most riveting subject for those that are more interested in the content and editorial priorities of the organization's output. But in a technology team there will usually be experts familiar with the copious agendas, minutes or discussion papers that are being submitted to one committee or another of their national bodies, or to CEPT, CENELEC, the ITU and other groups ...
or who are actually spending time in those meetings. These may be a standards or study group, a working party or conference preparatory group, a national meeting or European body – the list is long. These issues rarely get to the Board agenda of most broadcasters, but the outcome of some can have a significant impact on the distribution of content or its cost. The increasing demand for spectrum, fuelled by new-generation technologies, has led many national regulators to impose pricing mechanisms to “maximize economic efficiency”. The ITU recommends particular measures for spectrum efficiency 1 that aid the decision-making progress. The net effect is that, as spectrum is freed up either as a result of declining use, pricing mechanisms or the use of more efficient digital technology, it is being reallocated within or between sectors.
There are many areas in the various frequency bands where changes in the allocation of bandwidth are having an impact on the broadcast sector. The rapid growth of Power Line Telecommunications (PLT) technology, the allocation of the 800 MHz band to mobile services in Region 1, the use of CBand spectrum for terrestrial WiMax services and other changes are making their impact felt.
For the international broadcasting community – accustomed to the competing demands for HF spectrum from the defence, aviation and maritime sectors, and the pre-conference preparatory work – the planning for a World Radiocommunication Conference is a familiar routine. The regular HF co-ordination meetings and dialogue around MF interference already ensured that the issues were well known and understood. But as the boundaries between broadcasters and telcos blur, and linear content is augmented by online and on-demand, it can be difficult for the broadcaster or media company to stay across all the initiatives that may impact on their business. The potential for growth of mobile services, and the ability to remain connected on the move, has resulted in a quantum shift in demand for spectrum to meet probably the fastest growing sector under the ITU’s purview.
In the last two years, another issue has been added to the regulatory agenda with the increased incidence of interference to satellite services. “Interference” has long been a feature of terrestrial broadcasting, and HF broadcasters are well used to dealing with the problems of jamming, though not always solving them, whether it is an accidental or deliberate act.
To illustrate some of the challenges that broadcasters face, the author has looked at the three areas of PLT, C-Band/WiMax and satellite jamming. The issues highlight many of the pressures that broadcasters face in understanding the diverse nature of the initiatives that can affect their ability to compete and how – what might appear to be unrelated – developments can have a major impact on getting content to audiences, unless the broadcasters engage early in the discussion process.
There are two aspects that are worth bearing in mind:
- Firstly, much of the work that goes into setting standards may not bring benefits for several years. New technologies take time to develop. Broadcasters need to be wary of thinking that they don’t need to engage in the work for a new piece of technology, just because it may not become a reality until 2020. It is often in the early stages of development that the defining aspects of the technology are set.
- Secondly, during the development phase, aspects of the technology may change beyond the original scope. Not to engage until the technology is closer to commercial fruition means opportunities may be missed to influence its design or detail.
Power Line Telecommunications (PLT)
This technology has been developed to allow local internet access over domestic power distribution systems. Originally it was conceived for use over main power-grid supplies for getting content to the home although, in recent years, the focus has been on domestic distribution within the home or other buildings. Work continues on the grid-based technology, which poses similar risks to the broadcast industry with the potential for significantly-increased power levels. PLT has not until recently been of much concern to the broadcast community, other than those still using the AM bands. National regulators, keen to see the take-up of easy-to-use broadband services, have encouraged its development, and the trade and regulatory bodies in the communications sector have been largely left to work on the standards.