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Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005)ICASANotice regarding Final Radio Frequency Assignment Plans for the IMT2300 Band in terms of Regulation 3 of the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations, 20157. Coordination Requirements |
| 7.1 | Cross Border Frequency Coordination will abide by the Harmonised Calculation Method for Africa (HCM4A) Agreement. This follows the 3rd CRASA AGM that agreed that CRASA should implement the Cross Border Frequency Coordination Harmonised Calculation Method for Africa (HCM4A) Agreement. |
| 7.2 | The ECC had noted the need for greater understanding of the concept and need for harmonisation in the signing of the HCM4A Agreement by the SADC Member States if the implementation of the Agreement is to be effective. The ECC, therefore, agreed to convene a workshop on HCM4A and requested the CRASA Members to consider signing the agreement. These activities were part of the Frequency Planning Sub Committee (FPSC) Operations Plan 2015/16. |
| 7.3 | At the 5th CRASA AGM, Swakopmund, Namibia – 07-08 April 20163 the subject of Cross Border Frequency Coordination using the Harmonised Calculation Method for Africa (HCM4A) was discussed in detail, following similar efforts in Europe. The Resolution CRASA/AGM/15.16/07 stipulates, “The AGM urged CRASA Members to prioritise the motivation to their administrations who are yet to indicate their interest to sign the Harmonised Calculation Method for Africa (HCM4A), to do so as soon as possible”. |
| 7.3.1 | Therefore, coordination would follow the HCM4A as detailed in Sub-Saharan Africa Assessment Report on Harmonisation of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa4(HIPSSA5). |
| 7.4 A | A harmonised calculation method (HCM4A) brings these benefits: |
| 7.4.1 | Based on HCM Agreement used in Europe; |
| 7.4.2 | Optimise spectrum usage; |
| 7.4.3 | Prevent harmful interferences; |
| 7.4.4 | Confer an adequate protection for stations; |
| 7.4.5 | Define technical provisions and administrative procedures; |
| 7.4.6 | Quick assignment of preferential frequencies; |
| 7.4.7 | Transparent decisions through agreed assessment procedures; |
| 7.4.8 | Quick assessment of interference through data exchange. |
| 7.5 | HCM4A involves all 4 sub regions of Africa. This means the HCM4A projects include performing a survey and a comparative analysis of existing administrative and technical procedures related to bilateral and multilateral cross-border frequency coordination agreements across the 4 geographical sub-regions as defined by the African Union (AU), namely: |
| 7.5.1 | Central Africa [Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome, and Principe]; |
| 7.5.2 | East Africa [Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda]; |
| 7.5.3 | Southern Africa [Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe]; |
| 7.5.4 | West Africa [Benin, Burkina-Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo]. |
| 7.6 | HCM4A also comes with a software tool for Sub-Saharan Africa6: |
| 7.6.1 | Optimise spectrum usage by accurate interference field strength calculations; |
| 7.6.2 | Establish general parameters, improvement, and supplementation of technical provisions, individual restrictions; |
| 7.6.3 | Establish models for computer-aided interference range calculations; |
| 7.6.4 | Harmonise parameters: objectively predictable towards transparent decisions. |
| 7.7 | Use of these frequency bands will require HCM4A coordination with the neighbouring countries within the coordination zones, of 6 kilometres in cases of LTE-to-LTE or 9 kilometres in cases of LTE-to-other technologies from the neighbouring country. The coordination distance is continuously being reviewed and these may be updated from time to time. |
| 7.8 | The following field strength thresholds have to be assured. Operator-to-operator coordination may be necessary to avoid interference. |
| 7.9 | TDD to TDD, based on ECC/REC (14)04 |
The 2300 - 2400 MHz band may be used for TDD systems without coordination if the mean field strength of each cell produced by the base station does not exceed a value of 30 dBμV/m/5 MHz at a height of 3 m above ground level at the border line between countries.
Synchronisation should be achieved including that of the field strength levels if TDD is in operation across both sides of a border.
When TDD systems are synchronised across the border, the 2300-2400 MHz band may be used without coordination with a neighbouring country if the mean field strength of each cell produced by the base station does not exceed a value of 65 dBμV/m/5MHz at a height of 3 m above ground level at the border line between countries and a value of 49 dBμV/m/5MHz at a height of 3 m above ground level at a distance of 6 km inside the neighbouring country.
When preferential and non-preferential spectrum blocks are defined in the 2300-2400 MHz band and are distributed between neighbouring countries, coordination is not required if the mean field strength of each cell produced by the base station does not exceed:
| • | for the preferential blocks, a value of 65 dBμV/m/5 MHz at a height of 3 m above ground level at the border line between two countries and a value of 49 dBμV/m/5 MHz at a height of 3 m above ground level at a distance of 6 km inside the neighbouring country; |
| • | non-preferential blocks, a value of 30 dBμV/m/5 MHz at a height of 3 m above ground level at the borderline between two countries. |
The “mean field strength of each cell” refers up to a frequency block of 5 MHz.
For field strength predictions the calculations should be made according to Appendix B. In cases of other frequency block sizes 10 x log10 (frequency block size / 5 MHz) should be added to the field strength values.
If administrations wish to agree on frequency coordination based on preferential frequencies, while ensuring a fair treatment of different operators, they can do so based on mutual agreements.
If neighbouring administrations wish to agree on frequency coordination based on preferential frequencies, whilst ensuring equitable treatment of different operators within a country, the Authority will add these into the mutual agreements.
As per ECC/REC (11)05 of the 26th May 2011, the cross-border operation between TDD and TDD systems and between TDD and FDD systems, stations of IMT systems may be operated without coordination if the mean field strength produced by the cell (all transmitters within the sector) does not exceed the value of 21 dBμV/m/5 MHz at 10% time, 50% of locations at 3 metres above ground level at the border line.
ECC/REC (14)04 and ECC/REC (11)05 may offer guidance for additional scenarios (NB! the general FDD case is only included into the original ECC/REC (11)05 dated 26 May 2011, and not into the latest version published on 03 February 2017 7).
| 7.10 | Technical analysis may be conducted by the Authority before an assignment is issued according to Appendix B based on an extract from ECC/REC (14)04. |
| 7.11 | Specific information regarding coordination may be found in Appendix B based on an extract from ECC/REC (14)04. |
| 7.12 | In the event of any interference, the Authority will require affected parties to carry out coordination. In the event that the interference continues to be unresolved after 24 hours, the affected parties may refer the matter to the Authority for a resolution. The Authority will decide the necessary modifications and schedule of modifications to resolve the dispute. The Authority will be guided by the Frequency Coordination Process as shown in Appendix D. |
| 7.13 | Assignment holders will take full advantage of interference mitigation techniques such as antenna discrimination, tilt, polarisation, frequency discrimination, shielding / blocking (introduce diffraction loss), site selection, and/or power control to facilitate the coordination of systems. |
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3 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi81bOFz6P2A hUwQUEAHe1YDIgQFnoECAIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fextranet.crasa.org%2Fzip-agm.php%3Fid%3D332&usg=AOvVaw1bVAuEnE8a2iJnP20F_b_2
4 https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Projects/ITU-EC-ACP/HIPSSA/Documents/FINAL%20DOCUMENTS/FINAL%20DOCS%20ENGLISH/hcm4a_agreement.pdf.pdf
6PowerPoint Presentation (itu.int) https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional- Presence/AsiaPacific/Documents/Events/2017/May%20BKK/Presentations/HCM%20and%20HCM4A%20 BKK%2020170504%20IB.pdf
7 https://docdb.cept.org/document/501
