Licensing of Television White Space Devices - Now Open

New Zealand's Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) has developed rules to allow the use of television white space (TVWS) devices following consultation in 2014. These rules provide an interim licensing regime for the trial of TVWS in New Zealand.

The new rules will be incorporated into the next issue of the Spectrum Licence Certification Rules for Crown Management Rights (PIB 39).

Licensing of TVWS devices is now open. Anyone seeking a licence should contact an Approved Radio Engineer.

View the white space licencing and certification rules - http://rsm.cmail2.com/t/r-l-cittjdl-qbuiqil-jr/

View the list of independent radio engineers and certifiers available for public work - http://rsm.cmail2.com/t/r-l-cittjdl-qbuiqil-jy/

Ofcom 420-470 MHz Consultation

Ofcom has published a call for inputs as part of its strategic review of the 420-470 MHz spectrum band (UHF bands 1 and 2).

This will help Ofcom to understand whether its current approach to managing the band is able to meet the needs of current and future users.

Uses for the band are diverse and complex and its configuration is not fully aligned with the European configuration plan.

Users include business radio, the emergency services and utilities, among others. With potential new users also wanting to make use of these frequencies, demand is increasing.

This document invites comments from stakeholders on Aegis’s findings, as well as other input which stakeholders consider relevant to our analysis of the 420 - 470 MHz band, including our proposed work program for the next phase of our strategic review.

This call for inputs closes on 19 February 2015. You can respond - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/420-470-mhz/

Strategic Review of UHF Spectrum at 420-470 MHz - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/420-470-mhz/summary/420-470-mhz.pdf

A separate report from Aegis, examining future demand scenarios for this band over the next ten years - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/420-470-mhz/annexes/aegis-report.pdf

Brazil to extend FM broadcast band

Countries including Brazil and China are planning to extend the FM broadcast band.

Brazil intends to extend the FM band down to 76 MHz while Beijing is considering a lower limit of 64 MHz.

Question about FM Band extension in Brazil and elsewhere: On a question raised by one of the Forum members, the Brazilian regulator ANATEL was contacted, who confirmed the planned extension of the FM band down to 76 MHz. This was in fact agreed already. It was remarked that there will be a problem with RDS then in the range 76-87.5 MHz, with no AF codes being defined for that range. With RDS 2.0 this problem could be solved however. It was also remarked that China plans to use FM radio down to 64 MHz, a matter also to be followed up for RDS 2.0. - RDS Forum

Read the RDS post - http://www.rds.org.uk/2010/2014-Forum-Meeting.htm