ICAO Handbook on Radio
Frequency Spectrum
Requirements for Civil Aviation
Workshops
Egypt, Cairo, 9 – 13 October 2016
Thailand, Bangkok, 18 – 21 October 2016
Robert Witzen
Loftur Jónasson
2016-10-04
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Introduction
• Volume I + Spectrum Management
– Spectrum strategy - Provides for the long term of
current and future spectrum usage of radio systems
– ICAO policies on use of aeronautical spectrum to
support the ICAO spectrum strategic objectives
– ICAO position for future ITU WRC .
• Volume II + Frequency Management
– ICAO Frequency Assignment Planning
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100 MHz
80 MHz
3m
10 m
VHF band (#8)
30 m
100 m
60 MHz
40 MHz
30 MHz
20 MHz
10 MHz
8 MHz
6 MHz
4 MHz
3 MHz
2 MHz
1 MHz
HF band (#7)
300 m
MF band (#6)
1 km
3 km
LF band (#5)
800 kHz
600 kHz
400 kHz
300 kHz
200 kHz
100 kHz
Vol. I – Overview of spectrum for aviation
HF Air/ground voice / data
Air/ground communications
Marker beacons
NDB / Locator beacons
Navigation
LDACS
Glide path
C
Satellite
communications
MTSAT and
Inmarsat
Iridium
DME
X
K
AeroMACS
UAS terrestrial
UAS satellite
L5
SSR
L1
PSR
Ka
100 GHz
Former band letters
Air/ground communications
Navigation
Airborne Doppler radar
Airborne radar
Surveillance
PSR
Radio Altimeter
80 GHz
3 mm
1 cm
Ku
MLS
GNSS
60 GHz
40 GHz
30 GHz
20 GHz
10 GHz
EHF band (#11)
3 cm
S
EPIRB / ELT
Air/ground
voice / data
8000 MHz
6000 MHz
10 cm
30 cm
SHF band (#10)
L
Localizer /
VOR/GBAS
4000 MHz
3000 MHz
2000 MHz
1000 MHz
800 MHz
UHF band (#9)
1m
3 km
VHF band (#8)
600 MHz
400 MHz
300 MHz
200 MHz
100 MHz
Frequency range 100 kHz – 100 MHz
Airborne weather radar
ASDE radar
Frequency range 100 MHz – 100 GHz
Notes:
Drawing not to scale
Not all Regional or sub-Regional allocations are shown
Band identification (e.g. VHF) and band # per Radio Regulations
The satellite communication bands used by MTSAT and Inmarsat are not allocated the the Aeronautical Mobile Satellte (R) Service
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Vol. II – Frequency assignment planning
• Provides for globally harmonized frequency assignment
planning criteria and guidance material to support the
application of SARPs in Annex 10, Vol. V
• Developed in conjunction with the revisions to Annex 10,
Vol. V
• Developed by the frequency Spectrum Management
Panel (FMSP)
• Implementation has been agreed through the
relevant Regional eANP
• Support the development of a frequency assignment
plan which encompasses Global and Regional COM lists
and the Global Air Navigation Plan
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Vol. II – Frequency assignment planning
Chapter 1 – General methodology (1)
• General methodology for compatibility analysis
– General model for compatibility assessment
– Based on:
• Protection of desired signal at receiver input
• Not to exceed maximum permissible distortion of
receiver output signal
2016-10-04
Transmitter
Feeder
loss
Antenna
gain
Propagation
loss
PTd
Fd
Gd
Ld
Transmitter
Feeder
loss
Antenna
gain
PTu
Fu
Gu
receiver
input RPd
antenna
input Pd
e.i.r.p D
Antenna
gain
Gr
antenna
input Pu
Feeder
loss
Receiver
Fr
PTr
receiver
input RPu
Propagation
loss
e.i.r.p U
Lu
5
Vol. II – Frequency assignment planning
Chapter 1 – General methodology (2)
Transmitter
Feeder
loss
Antenna
gain
Propagation
loss
PTd
Fd
Gd
Ld
Transmitter
Feeder
loss
Antenna
gain
PTu
Fu
Gu
receiver
input RPd
antenna
input Pd
e.i.r.p D
Antenna
gain
Gr
antenna
input Pu
Feeder
loss
Receiver
Fr
PTr
receiver
input RPu
Propagation
loss
e.i.r.p U
Lu
Determine the desired signal level at receiver input
Determine the undesired signal level at receiver input
Determine the D/U ratio
If PD and PU are the same, D/U is LD -LU
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Vol. II – Frequency assignment planning
Radio wave Propagation model
• Propagation model
– Based on free space propagation
(Re. Recommendation ITU-R P.525)
• Propagation model does not accommodate certain
phenomena which are difficult to predict such as
– Changes in the refractive index of the atmosphere
– Ducting
• ITU has developed propagation curves for
aeronautical communication and navigation
systems (Recommendation ITU-R P.528)
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Vol. II – Frequency assignment planning
Compatibility criteria for frequency coordination (1)
• Frequency assignment planning criteria are to be
considered as a generic technical measure to
support frequency coordination.
• Planning criteria provide for a rather conservative
method to assign frequencies without causing
harmful interference.
• In most cases, a detailed technical analysis may
result in reduced geographical separation being
required.
• Consideration of actual operational use
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Vol. II – Frequency assignment planning
Compatibility criteria for frequency coordination (2)
• Frequency assignment plans may include frequency
assignments which do not meet the planning criteria as
agreed by ICAO
• In many of such cases these frequency assignments may be
considered operationally compatible
– consideration of the operational use
– absence of interference reports
– consideration of the effect of the terrain.
– as result of a detailed analysis of the technical characteristics of both the
desired and undesired stations
• Non-compatible identification in Frequency Finder
does not necessarily imply operational incompatibility
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Vol. II – Frequency assignment planning
Compatibility criteria for frequency coordination (3)
• A station that is considered “Not Compatible” because
it does not meet the ICAO frequency assignment
planning criteria is not, by default, also operationally
“Not Compatible” .
• Frequency Finder displays geographical areas where
interference is predicted to support a more detailed
analysis.
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