| 3.1 | Technical characteristics of the equipment used in Single Frequency Links (Fixed Services), Mobile Services and IMT Satellite shall conform to all applicable South African standards, international standards, International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and its radio regulations as agreed and adopted by South Africa |
3.2 All installations must comply with safety rules as specified in applicable standards.
| 3.3 | The equipment used shall be certified under South African law and regulations. |
| 3.4 | The allocation of this frequency band and the information in this Radio Frequency Spectrum Assignment Plan (RFSAP) are subject to review. |
| 3.5 | Frequency bands assigned for the IMT Satellite component include bands 1518 – 1525 MHz. |
| 3.6 | Frequency bands assigned for Single Frequency Links include bands 1517 – 1525 MHz. |
| 3.7 | WRC-03 and WRC-07 allocated this additional spectrum to the mobile satellite service to complement existing L-band allocations used by numerous satellite operators. Therefore, the band 1518 – 1525 MHz is sometimes called “Extended L band” for MSS, referring to satellite user terminals operating in the band 1518 to 1525 MHz (space to Earth), with the terminals transmitting to the satellite in the band 1670 MHz to 1675 MHz (Earth to space). In general, the wider band 1518 - 1559 MHz band is used by several GSO MSS operators, including Inmarsat, to provide vital communication services to ships, aircraft, and land mobile users. |
| 3.8 | This Satellite component of IMT is applicable for the provision of the satellite service. The typical technical and operational characteristics identified as appropriate by the ITU are described in the following documents |
| ● | This band is identified as being available for the satellite component of IMT, and some of the services offered by MSS operators form part of the “satellite component for IMT-2000”, as defined by Recommendation ITU-R M. 1850-2 (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1850 ); |
| ● | ITU-R Recommendation M.1391: Methodology for the calculation of IMT-2000 satellite spectrum requirements (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1391/en ); |
| ● | ITU-R Recommendation M.1167: Framework for the satellite component of International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1167 ); and |
| ● | ITU-R Recommendation M.818 - Satellite operation within International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) ( https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.818/en ) |
| 3.9 | Single Frequency Links (in the Fixed Service) are applicable for the provision of the system and service. The typical technical and operational characteristics identified as appropriate by the ITU are described in the following documents |
| ● | CEPT Recommendation T/R 13-01 E (Preferred channel arrangements for fixed service systems operating in the frequency range 1 - 2.3 GHz (https://docdb.cept.org/download/2499 ) |
| ● | ITU-R Recommendation F.1242: Radio-frequency channel arrangements for digital radio systems operating in the range 1 350 MHz to 1 530 MHz (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-F.1242/en ) |
| 3.10 | The following reports provide the details of co-existence studies between Mobile and MSS services in this band. |
| • | ECC Report 263 6 (Mar 2017) addressed the compatibility studies between IMT base stations operating below 1518 MHz and MSS land terminals operating above 1518 MHz. |
| • | This led to the following balanced approach published in ECC decision (17)06 7 and EC decision 2018/661/EU 8. |
| • | ECC/DEC/ (04)09 amended 26 June 2009: ECC Decision of 12 November 2004 on the designation of the bands 1518 - 1525 MHz and 1670 - 1675 MHz for the Mobile-Satellite Service 9. |
| 3.11 | The use of the band 1518 - 1525 MHz by the mobile-satellite service is subject to coordination. According to the Radio Regulations, the mobile-satellite service operating in the band 1518-1525 MHz stations shall not claim protection from the stations in the fixed service10. |
| 3.12 | The following documents may also be useful when considering the 1518-1525 MHz band: |
| 3.12.1 | ITU-R Recommendation M.1167 (10/95): Framework for the satellite component of International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1167) |
| 3.12.2 | ITU-R Recommendation F.1242-0 (05/97): Radio-frequency channel arrangements for digital radio systems operating in the range 1 350 MHz to 1 530 MHz (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-F.1242/en) |
| 3.12.3 | Recommendation ITU-R M.1480 -0 (05/2000): Essential technical requirements of mobile earth stations of geostationary mobile-satellite systems that are implementing the Global mobile personal communications by satellite (GMPCS) – Memorandum of understanding arrangements in parts of the frequency band 1-3 GHz (https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/m/R-REC-M.1480-0-200005-I!!PDF-E.pdf) |
| 3.12.4 | ITU-R Recommendation M.818 -2 (06/2003): Satellite operation within International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.818/en ) |
| 3.12.5 | Recommendation ITU-R M.1343 -1 (06/05): Essential technical requirements of mobile earth stations for global non-geostationary mobile-satellite service systems in the bands 1-3 GHz (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1343/en) |
| 3.12.6 | ECC/DEC/ (04)09, ECC Decision of 12 November 2004 on the designation of the bands 1518 - 1525 MHz and 1670 - 1675 MHz for the Mobile-Satellite Service, Amended 26 June 2009 (https://docdb.cept.org/document/382 ) |
| 3.12.7 | ITU RESOLUTION 225 (REV.WRC-12) Use of additional frequency bands for the satellite component of IMT (https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/oth/0C/0A/R0C0A00000F0075PDFE.pdf ) |
| 3.12.8 | Recommendation ITU-R M. 1850 -2 (09/2014) Detailed specifications of the radio interfaces for the satellite component of International Mobile Telecommunications- 2000 (IMT-2000) (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1850 ) |
| 3.12.9 | ETSI EN 301 444 V2.2.1 (2021-04) Satellite Earth Stations and Systems (SES); Land Mobile Earth Stations (LMES) and Maritime Mobile Earth Stations (MMES) providing voice and/or data communications, operating in the 1,5 GHz and 1,6 GHz frequency bands; Harmonised Standard for access to radio spectrum. (https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/301400_301499/301444/02.02.01_60/en_30144 4v020201p.pdf) |
| 3.12.10 | ITU-R M.1184-3 (01/2018): Technical characteristics of mobile satellite systems in the frequency bands below 3 GHz for use in developing criteria for sharing between the mobile-satellite service (MSS) and other services (https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1184/en ) |
| 3.12.11 | ECC Report 280 Satellite Solutions for 5G, 18 May 2018 (https://docdb.cept.org/document/2989) |
| 3.12.12 | CEPT Report 069 Report from CEPT to the European Commission in response to the Mandate “Ultra-Wideband technology in view of a potential update of Commission Decision 2007/131/EC”. Report approved on 26 October 2018 (https://docdb.cept.org/document/7244 ), if such ultra-wideband technology would be used in South Africa; |
| 3.13 | Documents considering various aspects of the coordination are mentioned in the section “Co-ordination Requirements”. |
_________________________________________
| 6 | ECC Report 263, Adjacent band compatibility studies between IMT operating in band 1492-1518 MHz and the MSS operating in 1518-1525 MHz, 3 March 2017 (https://docdb.cept.org/document/967) |
| 7 | ECC/DEC/ (17)06, ECC Decision of 17 November 2017 on the harmonised use of the frequency bands 1427-1452 MHz and 1492-1518 MHz for Mobile/Fixed Communications Networks Supplemental Downlink (MFCN SDL), Approved 17 November 2017, Corrected 2 March 2018 (https://docdb.cept.org/document/1016) |
| 8 | EC decision 2018/661/EU: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/661 of 26 April 2018 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/750 on the harmonisation of the 1 452-1 492 MHz frequency band for terrestrial systems capable of providing electronic communications services in the Union as regards its extension in the harmonised 1 427-1 452 MHz and 1 492-1 517 MHz frequency bands (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018D0661&rid=1) |
| 9 | https://docdb.cept.org/document/382 |
| 10 | ITU Radio Regulations Footnote 5.348 under No. 9.11A |
