Ofcom Consultation on Protecting 23.6-24 GHz

Ofcom is looking at protecting passive services at 23.6-24 GHz from future 26 GHz uses but nothing is said about the Amateur Services allocation at 24 GHz which is also threatened

Ofcom is today inviting views on proposals to protect radio astronomy and Earth exploration satellite services - operating at 24 GHz - from out-of-band emissions that might be generated from future wireless broadband services using the adjacent 26 GHz band.

Services that operate in the 24 GHz band are important for taking scientific measurements to enable new discoveries in space, as well as measuring changes in the Earth’s surface and atmosphere to help predict our weather and better understand climate change. But they could be susceptible to out-of-band emissions from the nearby 26 GHz band, which we’re preparing to authorise to support future wireless broadband services, including 5G.

To mitigate this, we are proposing to:

  • limit the number of outdoor base stations deployed in any 300km2 area in the lowest 800 MHz of the 26 GHz band (24.25-25.05 GHz); and

  • apply exclusion zones around six UK radio astronomy sites where 26 GHz base stations cannot be deployed outdoors.

For indoor 26 GHz use, our provisional view is that additional measures are not required. So we propose to remove the existing exclusion zones around the radio astronomy sites at Jodrell Bank and Cambridge from the current 26 GHz indoor shared access licence product.

We invite comments on our proposals by 5pm on 24 February 2022.

Ofcom public consultation page - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/protecting-passive-services-at-23.6-24-ghz-from-future-26-ghz-uses