Proposals and Changes to the Spectrum in Certain Bands Below 1.7 GHz

6. Multi-use radios in the 150 MHz Band

Multi-use radio Service (MURS) devices have been available in the U.S. to provide consumer and business two-way, short-distance voice and data communications.

6.1 Discussion

MURS devices have been permitted since 2002 to operate using five VHF frequencies known by users as the VHF “colour dot” frequencies. These frequencies are 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, 151.940 MHz, 154.570 MHz and 154.600 MHz. MURS are premitted to emit no more than 2 watts maximum transmitter output. MURS may operate in an authorized bandwidth of 11.25 kHz (on frequencies 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, and 151.940 MHz) and of 20.0 kHz (on 154.570 and 154.600 MHz). MURS are stand-alone consumer/business devices and as such are not permitted to interconnect to the public switched telephone network, may not have an antenna that can be modified and cannot be operated in continuous carrier mode.

In Canada, many commercial/industrial mobile and public safety licensees are authorized on these five frequencies. A large number of these frequencies are licensed on a private/commercial basis. The remaining users are made up of government (i.e. municipal, provincial or federal government) and public safety (i.e. police, fire and ambulance). It is expected that the operation of MURS devices will cause, in certain situations, harmful interference to land mobile use. Also, operation of MURS devices could, in certain situations cause interference to users on adjacent land mobile frequencies, as set out in the suballocation channelling plan in Standard Radio System Plan 500, Technical Requirements for Land Mobile and Fixed Radio Services Operating in the Bands 138–144 MHz and 148–174 MHz (SRSP-500). Table 2 below estimates the number of stations that could be affected by MURS operation.

Table 2 — Number of Stations by Region Using the Five MURS Frequencies

	Base	Mobile	Total
Atlantic	164	1344	1508
Quebec	113	2577	2690
Ontario	238	5756	5994
Prairie & Northern	368	10112	10480
Pacific	148	8177	8325

In total, there may be in excess of more than 28,000 incumbent stations that could be affected by the 5 frequencies used by MURS. Some of these frequencies include those for government operations, public safety and commercial/industrial operations. It is noted that some stations are authorized on a province-wide basis.

The Department is of the view that MURS use could significantly affect both existing radio stations on the five MURS frequencies and on adjacent frequencies. For MURS frequencies in the 151 MHz range, the U.S. permits an 11.25 kHz authorized bandwidth with 12.5 kHz channel spacing. Canada follows a 30/15/7.5 kHz channel plan, so this could have a potential impact on one 15 kHz channel and three 7.5 kHz channels for each MURS frequency. For the two MURS frequencies in the 154 MHz range, the U.S. permits a 20 kHz authorized bandwidth with 25 kHz channel spacing. Again, in Canada a 30/15/7.5 kHz channel plan is followed and a number of 30/15 and 7.5 kHz channels could be affected depending on the licensee and the equipment used. Table 3 illustrates the 5 frequencies and adjacent frequencies that could be potentially affected by permitting MURS in Canada.

Table 3 — Adjacent Channels Potentially Affected by MURS

Frequency (MHz)	Bandwidth (kHz)			Affected Frequencies
MURS Channel	30 kHz (±7.5)	15 kHz (±7.5)	7.5 kHz (±3.75)	Frequency (MHz)
151.820	NA	NA	C1287	151.8125
	NA	B643	C1288	151.8200
	NA	NA	C1289	151.8275
151.880 (11.25 kHz)	NA	NA	C1295	151.8725
	NA	B647	C1296	151.8800
	NA	NA	C1297	151.8875
151.940 (11.25 kHz)	NA	NA	C1303	151.9325
	NA	B651	C1304	151.9400
	NA	NA	C1305	151.9475
154.570 (20 kHz)	NA	NA	C1653	154.5575
	A414	B826	C1654	154.5650
	NA	NA	C1655	154.5725
	NA	B827	C1656	154.5800
154.600 (20 kHz)	NA	B827	C1656	154.5800
	NA	NA	C1657	154.5875
	A415	B828	C1658	154.5950
	NA	NA	C1659	154.6025
	NA	NA	C1660	154.6125
	A416	NA	NA	154.6200

NA — Not applicable

6.2 Considerations

Canadians are large consumers of electronic devices and radio technologies and want similar radio products as those available in the U.S. market. In the past, the Department has moved quickly to provide access to family radio and general mobile radio devices in response to industry-led programs to accommodate incumbent radio users in the affected bands. The Department opened the market for new consumer radio devices over a short transition period for incumbents with the full participation of the distributors/manufacturers. This has greatly assisted in the Department in countering the importation of illegal radio devices.

In this spectrum policy initiative and in recent policies, the Department has taken specific steps to free up spectrum below 1.0 GHz to meet the demands of mobile and fixed services. For example, new mobile spectrum is being designated in the bands 216–220 MHz, 220–222 MHz and in unused spectrum around 900 MHz. Also, the spectrum redeployment plan for bands in the 150 MHz and 450 MHz ranges, in a post 2006/2007 time frame, will free up new frequencies. This will be due to the Phase II (of the plan) efficiencies for narrow band radio equipment of 7.5kHz and 6.25 kHz channel bandwidths. These spectrum policies will also help provide alternative frequencies and a migration for currently licensed radio users in the band 150 MHz, who may need to be accommodated in order to permit the sale and distribution of MURS products in Canada. However, given the large number of licensed users that could potentially be affected in the MURS frequencies, the Department must develop a longer transition plan before potentially opening the Canadian market to MURS devices.

6.3 Proposed Transition Plan to Permit MURS

The Department is of the view that establishing a long transition period for licensed incumbents before permitting the sale and distribution of MURS devices for consumers is a reasonable approach. Therefore, in accordance with Spectrum Utilization Policy Gen, General Information Related to Spectrum Utilization and Radio Systems Policies (SP-Gen), a five-year transition period from the issuance of the spectrum policy is proposed. Notification would be provided to licensed incumbents at the start of the transition period (Year 0) and two years before the end of the transition period (starting at Year 4). In this regard the Department proposes for the frequency bands 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz,

151.940 MHz, 154.570 MHz, 154.600 MHz and in affected adjacent spectrum that:

1. a five-year transition period be established after a spectrum policy is released to permit the distribution and sale of MURS devices;
2. all licensees be served formal notification letters on the publication date of the spectrum policy (Year 0) and two years before the end of the transition period (starting at Year 4);
3. the Department will seek to accommodate affected licensees that wish to move in other frequency bands; and
4. incumbent licensees electing to stay in these frequencies could do so on a secondary basis, but may be subjected to interference from the operation of MURS devices and would have to accept such interference. A moratorium on the continued licensing of the affected frequency bands would also consequently be invoked.

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7. Proposal to Release Spectrum for Mobile and Fixed Services in the 900 MHz Range

The bands 901–902 MHz, 940–941 MHz (held in reserve) and 944–952 MHz², partially designated for digital cordless telephones, will be reviewed in this section.

7.1 Discussion

A primary goal of the Department is to provide additional spectrum for mobile applications and other fixed wireless access to alleviate spectrum congestion in major urban centres. The following provides background information on these frequency bands.

Trunked Radio Systems at 896–901 MHz and 935–940 MHz

In the early 1980s, in a related spectrum policy³, the Department designated the paired frequency bands 896–901 MHz and 935–940 MHz to be used by the mobile service for both trunked and conventional mobile radio systems, to carry voice or data communications. Priority was given to the use of trunked systems in these bands particularly in areas of high spectrum congestion.

Today this spectrum is heavily utilized and supports a considerable number of commercial mobile radio applications. The current 5+5 MHz of spectrum is insufficient to meet the growth of existing and new commercial radio service applications. The Department wishes to consider increasing spectrum for these services and open the adjacent reserve bands 901–902 MHz and 940–941 MHz.

Cordless Telephone Spectrum at 944–952 MHz

In 1991, the band 944–952 MHz was designated for digital cordless telephones and the sub-band 944–948.5 MHz was released for licensing. However, the public and residential components for digital cordless telephones did not materialize. The only applications to emerge were for business wireless PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems on a licence-exempt basis.⁴

On June 25, 1998, following public consultation in SP-944 MHz (Gazette Notice DGTP-011-98), Industry Canada concluded that, given the lack of deployment of digital cordless telephones, the band 944–952 MHz would be better used by other applications. Future mobile applications were deemed to be a suitable technical choice. In particular, it was concluded that the spectrum could be re-designated in urban areas where mobile service spectrum use was very congested. In accordance with spectrum utilization policy SP-944 MHz, the designation of spectrum for digital cordless telephones in the band 944–948.5 MHz ceased as of July 1, 2002. Consequently, the Department believes that is now timely to consider designating the band 944–952 MHz for new wireless applications.

7.2 Proposal to Release the Bands 901–902 MHz and 940–941 MHz

A logical use of the bands 901–902 MHz and 940–941 MHz is to expand the trunked mobile bands 896–901 MHz and 935–940 MHz, respectively, and make efficient use of the spectrum. Therefore, the Department proposes to:

1. open and add the bands 901–902 MHz and 940–941 MHz as an extension to the trunked mobile bands 896–901 MHz and 935–939 MHz. (The new paired bands will be 896–902 MHz and 935–940 MHz —see Annex 2-A); and
2. continue with the existing designation of trunked mobile with some flexibility of certain mobile and fixed applications where justified.

7.3 Proposal for Designating Spectrum in the Band 944–952 MHz

Since the mid 1990s, the Department has studied a range of options to make efficient use of the band 944–952 MHz. In recent years, there has been interest to add the band 944–952 MHz to the band 953–960 MHz for developing broadband wireless access and subscriber radio services in remote rural and northern areas of Canada. Also, new wireless access technology standards such as the IEEE 802.16–2004 WiMAX standard, offer the prospect of providing economical solutions to support advanced communication in rural areas. It is important that the bands 953–960 MHz and 944–952 MHz, be both allocated for fixed and mobile service applications on a co-primary basis to be readily available for assignment. In this regard, the Department proposes the allocation change to the Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations that follows:

Canadian Table
MHz

944–952

MOBILE 5.317A MOD C7 Fixed FIXED

5.317A     Administrations wishing to implement International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 (IMT-2000) may use those parts of the band 806–960 MHz which are allocated to the mobile service on a primary basis and are used or planned to be used for mobile systems (see Resolution 224 (WRC-2000)). This identification does not preclude the use of these bands by any application of the services to which they are allocated and does not establish priority in the Radio Regulations. (WRC-2000)

MOD C7    International Footnote 5.317A provides Administrations with the flexibility to implement International Mobile Technology (IMT) 2000 in parts of the band 806–960 MHz which are allocated to the mobile service on a primary basis. For the time being, the application of 5.317A is limited to the bands designated for cellular mobile telephony and trunked mobile systems. The bands 824–849 MHz and 869–894 MHz are designated for cellular telephony services and the bands 806–821 MHz, 851–866 MHz, 896–901 896–902 MHz and 935–940 935–941 MHz are designated for trunked mobile services and, as such, can evolve to accommodate IMT-2000 service capabilities.

In order to facilitate the advancement of communications in rural areas in the band 944–952 MHz, the Department will authorize this additional spectrum using a streamlined FCFS licensing process. The licensing of this spectrum in urban areas and their vicinities will likely require a competitive licensing process, and thus further consideration.

Some aspects of spectrum policy, technical standards and operational guidelines will serve as the basis for the development of a spectrum utilization policy for the band 944–952 MHz. For remote rural and northern communities the Department proposes that these aspects would be:

1. The use of spectrum would be for fixed and mobile services.
2. A streamlined FCFS licensing process should be considered in the same context as the provision made in the band 953–960 MHz (i.e. remote rural areas are those that would not preclude the deployment and licensing of future radio systems in urban and surrounding areas).
3. For fixed service applications, existing technical standards may be adequate or new ones may be required.
4. As a principle, the Department does not wish to limit the type of technical or service application.

NB Interest was expressed to add the band 944–952 MHz to the existing band 953–960 MHz to ensure sufficient spectrum for broadband Internet access in rural settings.

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² See Spectrum Utilization Policy for the Fixed, Mobile, Radiolocation and Amateur Services in the Band 896 to 960 MHz (SP 896 MHz), as amended in September, 1991. Digital cordless telephones are covered in the Spectrum Utilization Policy in the Frequency Range 944–960 (SP-944 MHz), released in July of 1998.

³ SP 896 MHz — Spectrum Utilization Policy for the Fixed, Mobile, Radiolocation and Amateur Services in the Band 896 to 960 MHz.

⁴ By the end of the first quarter of 2000, the existing installed base of CT2 Plus systems numbered 4,000 in Canada with approximately 100,000 portable phones operating on these systems. These systems are geographically spread across Canada but are primarily located in urban areas. The Department was advised that the number would continue to grow at a rate of about 200 systems/4,000 handsets per quarter until the end of 2001, after which the sale of CT2 Plus systems in Canada would end. The emergence of competing technologies such as 2.4 GHz/5.0 GHz Internet Protocol (IP)-Mobility has significantly reduced the market opportunity for CT2 Plus-based products.

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