Regulatory and Standardization Issues
on Cognitive Radio based
Maritime B-VHF Communications
Eduardo Bolas, Nuno Borges de Carvalho,
José Neto Vieira, Paulo Mónica de Oliveira
Outline
Maritime Communications
MMS Spectrum Status
CR based B-VHF – Overcoming Spectrum Scarcity
New Paradigms for Regulatory Roles
Regulatory and Standardization Issues
Concluding Remarks
Eduardo Bolas
Maritime Communications
Eduardo Bolas
Maritime B-VHF Communications System
No alternatives to SATCOM
for Broadband Services
Worldwide shore-based
VHF infrastructures supporting
voice and low rate services
Significant world sailing activity
occurs within
40 miles from cost line
Eduardo Bolas
Maritime Mobile Service
Spectrum Status
Eduardo Bolas
ITU - Radio Regulations Appendix 18
156 – 174 MHz
156.275 MHz
156.025 MHz
156.375 MHz
156.875 MHz
157.425 MHz (Note 2)
Ship Transmitting Frequencies
157.375 MHz (Note 2)
161.975 MHz (Note 2)
AIS 2
60 01 61 02 62 03 63 04 64 05 65 06 66 07 67 08 68 09 69 10 70 11 71 12 72 13 73 14 74 15 75 16 76 17 77 18 78 19 79 20 80 21 81 22 82 23 83 24 84 25 85 26 86 27 87 28 88
(a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (b) (a) (a) (b) (b)
(b) (b) (b) (c)
(b) (b) (b)
(b) (c) (c) (c) (b) (b) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a)
(a)
AIS 1
162.025 MHz (Note 2)
Note 1
*
160.900 MHz (Note 3)
Coastal Transmitting Frequencies
160.625 MHz
161.500MHz
160.950 MHz
Each channel is spaced by 25 kHz
nn
= two frequency channel
nn
= one frequency channel
nn
= one frequency channel – exclusive to maritime mobile – distress, safety and calling
Except for Channel 16 (156.80 MHz) and channel 70 (156.525 MHz)
and channels 75 and 76 (which are retained as guard bands around channel 16),
None of the other channels are exclusively allocated to the MMS!
Eduardo Bolas
MMS Allocated Spetrum in Portugal
What about spectrum for B-VHF…?
Eduardo Bolas
Spectrum Availability & Management
Eduardo Bolas
Cognitive Radio
“A radio or system that senses its operational electromagnetic
environment and can dynamically and autonomously adjust
its radio operating parameters to modify system operation,
such as maximize throughput, mitigate interference, facilitate
interoperability, access secondary markets.”
Joseph Mitola III
Eduardo Bolas
Cognitive Radio based B-VHF
Overcoming Spectrum Scarcity
Eduardo Bolas
Take advantage of available technologies…
Cognitive Radio
Multicarrier
Modulation Schemes
Existing Shore-based
VHF infrastructure
Eduardo Bolas
…to build up unavailable solutions!
Designated Spectra
Spectrum
Sensing
Primary Users = Assigned Services
Secondary Users = Broadband VHF
Frequency
Eduardo Bolas
It is not trivial, but…
Regulatory
Issues
Cognitive
Radio
Maturity
Impact on
Incumbents
NC-OFDM
Techniques
Available
Spectra
Eduardo Bolas
…it is not impossible, as well!
Eduardo Bolas
New Paradigms for
Regulatory Roles
Eduardo Bolas
Spectrum Allocation Strategy
DSA
Interference
Prevention
Eduardo Bolas
Fear of
Harmful
Interference
Efficient
Allocations
Inefficient
Allocations
Static
Spectrum Allocation Strategy
DSA
Interference
Prevention
Eduardo Bolas
Fear of
Harmful
Interference
Efficient
Allocations
Inefficient
Allocations
Static
Back to Foundations…
Future Regulatory
Framework
Promote
Efficient Use of
Spectrum
Enforce QoS of
Spectrum Users
Remove Barriers
throughout
Telecomms
Sector
Support
Telecomms
Business
(…)
Eduardo Bolas
Current Regulatory
Framework
Regulatory and
Standardization Issues
Eduardo Bolas
Challenges...
Incumbent Harmful Protection
Transition Plan
Current Regulatory
Framework
Eduardo Bolas
International Coordination
Future Regulatory
Framework
Incumbent
Harmful Protection
Eduardo Bolas
QoS Assurance
Maximization of Usable Capacity
Interference
Abolition
No
interference…
QoS Enforcement
Eduardo Bolas
Interference
is allowed,
but…
Trust on
Secondary
behavior…?!
Trust on
Regulators
practices…
Auditing
Interference
Tolerance
?
QoS Enforcement
Descentralized
Spectrum
Access Control
Identification, classification and
Localization of Spectrum Users
Metrics Definition
Difficut to
Register & Log
Opportunistic
Users
Control Interference Levels
Assure Incumbents Rights
Equipment Certification
Interference
is Allowed...
Eduardo Bolas
Conciliate Demands
Primary’s Side…
Acceptable
Level of
Interference
Eduardo Bolas
Evaluation
Metrics ?
Secondary’s Side…
Detection of Primary
Activity
(start/stop momentums)
Sense While Use
the Spectrum
Normalization
Spectrum Sensing
Evaluation Metrics ?
Eduardo Bolas
Sensing Periods
Between
Transmissions ?
Equipment Certification
Primary:
Demand for
Support of live
operations
Secondary:
Guidance &
Assistance to
avoid harmful
interference
Primary-Secondary
Users’ Confidence
Relationships
Regulation
Enforcement
Eduardo Bolas
Operational Caveats
Reference
Values
Thresholds
Metrics
Operational Requirements
a
Common
Understanding of
Criteria for:
Spectrum Access Conditions
(Primary/Secondary) Users Relationships
Regulatory Authority Roles
Eduardo Bolas
Primary Operational Metrics
Spectrum
Sensing
Inaccuracy
Density of
Secondaries
Outage Probability
Eduardo Bolas
Raise Noise
Floor
Achievable Capacity
Secondary Operational Metrics
Spectrum
Sensing
Performance
Channel State
Estimation
Maximum
Achievable Capacity
Eduardo Bolas
Primary
Services
Activity
Transition Plan
Eduardo Bolas
Spiral Development
Cognitive Maturity
Applied Spectrum
Eduardo Bolas
Design
Implement
Evaluate
Test
Where to search the opportunities?
Eduardo Bolas
Evolution on MMS
Cognitive Maturity
Applied Spectrum
MMS assigned channels for voice
(secondary data on primary voice channels)
Pilot testing on “New technologies”
allocated channels (DSA on assigned bands)
Build a little, test a little…
Eduardo Bolas
International
Coordination & Harmozization
Eduardo Bolas
ITU - Radio Regulations Article 5
None of the 156-174 MHz channels are exclusively allocated to MMS
Each National Regulatory Authority can choose which service(s) to
license in the band, given that the degree of compatibility between
services shall be taken into consideration to minimize harmful
interference
National Regulatory Authority can allow frequency bands to be used for
other services, providing that do not cause harmful interference to any
service which is operating under an allocation in the Radio Regulations
Ex: FCC published (2004) framework, evolving towards DSA in large
parts of spectrum
Eduardo Bolas
Concluding Remarks
Eduardo Bolas
Paradigm Shift is Inevitable…
Interest on Maritime VHF based broadband services
DSA and CR are pointed as decisive strategies to increase
efficiency of electromagnetic radio spectrum usage and
overcome its scarcity
Current regulatory framework it is not only inadequate for
emerging radio concepts and technologies, but also a potential
barrier to its deployment
No room for “big bang” approaches. It is necessary to prepare
transition phases comprehensively documented, discussed and
communicated
Role of Regulatory Agencies is crucial in the new dynamic
and “quasi-chaotic” environment...
Eduardo Bolas
Obrigado!
Regulatory and Standardization Issues
on Cognitive Radio based
Maritime B-VHF Communications
Eduardo Bolas, Nuno Borges de Carvalho,
José Neto Vieira, Paulo Mónica de Oliveira