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

8. Realignment of Spectrum for Medical Telemetry, Utility Telemetry and Flexible Radio Applications

In this section, the Department proposes a realignment of some spectrum to accommodate the operation of medical telemetry, utility telemetry and flexible radio applications.

Background

Low-power medical telemetry devices are currently permitted to operate on a secondary basis in a range of frequency bands from 54 MHz to 806 MHz in accordance with Radio Standard Specification 210.⁵ Wireless medical telemetry applications are important in health care management for monitoring of patient vital signs. It has been established that spectrum is needed to accommodate the growing needs of medical telemetry applications in hospitals.

The use of the band 608–614 MHz is already permitted by RSS-210 and is a favoured band for licence-exempt medical telemetry applications due to the light use status of the spectrum. As such, it will not be the subject of spectrum realignment in this consultation. However, the television broadcasting bands 174–216 MHz, 470–608 MHz and 614–746 MHz are in the process of accommodating new digital television services (DTV) and high powered stations. Recent U.S. experience has demonstrated that medical telemetry equipment operating in proximity to digital television stations receives significant interference. Hence, the continued use of medical telemetry equipment in proximity to digital television stations at co-frequency is not recommended. Considering the potential for an increase in interference with the roll out of DTV in the bands 174–216 MHz, 470–608 MHz and 614–746 MHz, the Department advises against the long-term use of these bands for medical telemetry. Providing some additional spectrum for medical telemetry applications in other bands would provide for growth and reasonable, free-from-interference spectrum. Spectrum in the 1400 MHz range is being proposed for medical telemetry applications.

In October of 1999, Gazette Notice DGTP-06-99 announced amendments to the microwave spectrum utilization policies in the 1–3 GHz Frequency Range (SP 1–3 GHz). In that spectrum policy, 6 MHz of spectrum, in one megahertz blocks, was designated in the sub-bands 1427–1430 MHz and 1493.5–1496.5 MHz to facilitate narrowband multi-point communications service (N-MCS) for utility telemetry applications such as automatic meter reading (AMR). The use of these sub-bands overlaps channels S1 and S1' of the subscriber radio service (SRS) that uses 3.5 MHz channel bandwidths. It was established that spectrum in channels S1 and S1' would be shared on a geographical basis between SRS and AMR telemetry systems for rural and urban areas, respectively. Spectrum access would be given to AMR systems in urban areas and their vicinities. At sufficient distance from urban areas, access to channels S1 and S1' for SRS systems would be given priority. This requires new AMR systems to be coordinated with existing SRS operation and to come to some inter-user arrangement, if spectrum is to be released for these AMR systems.

When the SP 1–3 GHz was released, the Department was aware that the band 1427–1429 MHz was designated in the U.S. for AMR applications on a secondary basis to government services. In addition to this, the FCC was reviewing the opening up of new spectrum for medical telemetry applications on a protected basis in several bands, including the band 1429–1432 MHz. The accommodation of medical telemetry in harmonized spectrum was seen as an important requirement. To that end, the Department decided to withhold the 1 MHz block at 1429–1430 MHz for wireless AMR until the spectrum requirements for medical telemetry had been decided in the FCC proceedings.

In June 2000, the FCC released a Report and Order (FCC 00-211) which made 14 MHz of spectrum available for new wireless medical telemetry services (WMTS) in the 608–614 MHz, 1395–1400 MHz and 1429–1432 MHz bands. Service rules were adopted which would allow WMTS to be ‘licensed by rule' to valid health care providers. Provisions were also made to have a frequency coordinator maintain a database of all WMTS equipment identified by location and characteristics such as frequency, power and type of emission. The database was intended for eligible users and manufacturers to plan specific frequency use within a geographic area.

Subsequently in January 2002, the FCC released another Report and Order (FCC 01-382) which allocated 27 MHz of spectrum from the 216–220 MHz, 1390–1395 MHz, 1427–1435 MHz, 1670–1675 MHz and 2385–2390 MHz bands for non-government use. This spectrum had been transferred from the Federal Government. In this order, the designation of the band 1429–1432 MHz for WMTS was shifted downward to 1427–1429.5 MHz. AMR or utility telemetry, which had been on a secondary basis in the 1427–1429 MHz band, was elevated to primary status in the band 1429.5–1432 MHz. These changes were consistent with the American Hospital Association's preference that the spectrum available for WMTS would not be directly adjacent to high-power mobile applications.

8.1 Suitability of Spectrum

A first step in the proposed realignment of spectrum is to assess the suitability of the new U.S. bands 1395–1400 MHz and 1427–1429.5 MHz to accommodate medical or utility telemetry applications in Canada with regard to the existing service allocations and designations.

The Band 1395–1400 MHz

The band 1395–1400 MHz is part of the band 1370–1400 MHz that is allocated on a co-primary basis for the fixed, mobile and radiolocation services.⁶ Over the years, this spectrum has been mainly used by the Department of National Defence. In the early 1990s, this band was studied as potential replacement spectrum for digital radio broadcasting (DRB). DRB was eventually accommodated in the band 1452–1492 MHz, within the existing SRS band plan in the band 1427–1525 MHz.

Within this radiolocation service allocation, there are a number of short/long-range radars in Canada such as those in the Northern Warning System and for coastal surveillance in northern areas of Canada, generally located above the 58^th parallel. Also, there are radar stations in operation in more southern regions of Canada, more specifically in Holdberg, British Columbia, North Bay, Ontario, Sydney and Barrington, Nova Scotia, and Gander, Newfoundland. Accordingly, there is a potential for radio interference to medical telemetry applications in hospitals located within 40 kilometres of the radar operations in parts of the northern Yukon, the North West Territories and Northern Nunavut and in vicinity of radar stations operating in Holdberg, North Bay, Sydney, Barrington and Gander.

It should be noted that in the U.S. the band 1395–1400 MHz is designated for medical telemetry, but is constrained by adjacent band interference from high-power radars located below 1390 MHz. These radar sites are grandfathered and protected in the U.S. Therefore, a Canada/U.S. frequency sharing and coordination arrangement is envisaged to establish appropriate technical criteria to protect telemetry applications to the extent practical on each side of the border.

The Band 1427–1432 MHz

In Canada, the band 1427–1429 MHz is allocated on a co-primary basis to the fixed and space operation services. The bands 1429–1452 MHz and 1492–1518 MHz are also allocated on a co-primary basis for fixed and mobile services.

In the U.S., the band 1427–1432 MHz has been opened for telemetry and commercial service, while the band 1435–1525 MHz is used extensively for aeronautical mobile telemetry systems by government users. The band 1427–1432 MHz is divided between medical telemetry and utility telemetry applications as sub-bands 1427–1429.5 MHz and 1429.5–1432 MHz, respectively.

In Canada, the band 1427–1432 MHz overlaps channels S1 and S2 of the SRS band plan in the band 1427–1452 MHz, that is paired with the sub-band 1492–1500.5 MHz for channels S1' and S2' in the band 1492–1517 MHz.⁷ The band 1427–1432 MHz has been supporting SRS systems for a number of years and there may be some systems operating within certain urban centres or vicinities. Care would be required to ensure that there are no point-to-multipoint SRS systems operating in channel S1 (the band 1427–1430.5 MHz) that could cause interference to medical telemetry operation.

8.1.1 Medical Telemetry Equipment

Medical telemetry applications in the bands 1395–1400 MHz and 1427–1429.5 MHz are restricted in the U.S. to indoor use in medical institutions. Medical telemetry equipment is most likely to be used inside large hospitals and is not normally used outside these medical facilities. In Canada, it is proposed that these applications be permitted on a licence-exempt basis as low-powered devices to be used inside medical facilities.

The previous section characterized the spectrum in the bands 1395–1400 MHz and 1427–1429.5 MHz for medical telemetry applications on a licence-exempt, no-protection, no-interference basis and identified the potential sources of interference from licensed services. As medical telemetry equipment is already permitted in several bands on a licence-exempt basis, the Department is of the view that similar if not identical power limits would be applied to those already set out in technical standard RSS-210.⁸

8.1.2 Proposed Spectrum Policy for Medical Telemetry Applications

By opening the bands 1395–1400 MHz and 1427–1429.5 MHz to licence-exempt medical telemetry applications, medical facilities will have new spectrum in which to operate these devices in a manner that is aligned from a North American manufacturing perspective. This could afford medical facilities the availability of a greater range of medical telemetry equipment and applications.

Therefore, the Department proposes that:

1. medical telemetry applications be permitted, on a licence-exempt and no-protection, no-interference basis, in the frequency bands 1395–1400 MHz and 1427–1429.5 MHz; and
2. medical telemetry applications be permitted in accordance with technical parameters to be established in RSS-210.

NB See Annex 4 for the current Canada/U.S. designations and the proposed Canadian realignment.

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⁵ i.e. 54–72 MHz, 76–88 MHz, 174–216 MHz, 216–217 MHz 470–608 MHz, 608–614 MHz and 614–806 MHz. See the current version of Radio Standard Specification 210, Low-power Licence-exempt Radiocommunications Devices (All frequency Bands) Category 1 Equipment (RSS-210).

⁶ By international footnotes, care must be taken for other services to not cause interference to radio astronomy operations in the band and by domestic footnote, fixed and mobile applications must take into account the existing and future needs of high-power radar systems. See International Telecommunications Union footnotes 5.149 and 5.339.

⁷ See Standard Radio System Plan 301.4, Technical Requirements for Fixed Line-of-Sight Radio Systems Operating in the Bands 1427–1452 and 1492–1517 MHz, (SRSP-301.4) Issue 3, September 29, 2001.

⁸ For example, in RSS-210, medical telemetry applications are not permitted to have a spectral density that exceeds a field strength of 200 millivolts/m, measured with a quasi-peak meter (nominal 120 kHz bandwidth) at a distance of 3 metres, when the transmitter is modulated with signals representative of those encountered in a real system operation. Systems using wider bandwidth than 120 kHz will be permitted output power proportionate to its bandwidth. Limits are also set for out-of-band emissions.

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