2.3 Technical description of 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz bands

Existing uses

2.3 GHz band

14. There are twelve 8 MHz management rights in the 2300 to 2396 MHz band. These existing management rights were created in November 1990 and expire on 25 November 2010. The owners of these management rights are:

1. Kordia Ltd;
2. Woosh Wireless Ltd;
3. Telecom Corporation of NZ Ltd; and
4. Sky Network Television Ltd.

15. The Ministry’s understanding⁶ is that the control of management rights in the band may be expressed as follows:

16. The Cabinet approvals include the authority for agreements to be reached with current rightholders to relinquish their rights to the 2.3 GHz band prior to 2010. This may enable spectrum covered by relinquished rights to be made available for early use. Any rights relinquished early may be lined up with lots at auction and auctioned at the same time. The Ministry would also seek to re-align any existing retained rights to match up with any future management rights acquired at auction where that would be desirable to facilitate continuity of service.

2.5 GHz band

17. The 2.5 GHz band is currently used for itinerant fixed links for television outside broadcast services. Typical uses include sporting fixtures, major events, and other requirements for video linking on a short term basis and the band is well used in times of peak deployment requirements. Various licensees operate in this band under radio licences which provide an ability to operate as and when required subject to prior advice and coordination with other licensees in the band.
18. Cabinet has agreed that MED should undertake discussions with current licensees and develop a transition plan to migrate use to alternative technologies and/or bands such as the 2.7 GHz band, with the aim of revoking existing licences by December 2008. A transition plan for existing licences in the 2.5 GHz band is discussed in chapter 8 - Transition Plan for Existing Licensees in 2.5 GHz Band.

Neighbouring bands and uses

2.3 GHz band

19. The 2.3 GHz band spans from 2300 to 2396 MHz. Immediately below this range there are existing management rights, in the so-called ‘1098 Band’. The Management Right immediately adjacent to 2.3 GHz is held by Kordia (2265.5-2300 GHz). Kordia utilises this band to deliver wireless voice and data to rural or semi-rural areas around New Zealand. A guard band between the aforementioned management right of Kordia and the lower edge of 2.3 GHz may be required.
20. Above 2396 MHz is a 4 MHz band available to Amateur radio on a secondary basis⁷ through a general user licence, reflecting the allocation to the Amateur service in the International Radio Regulations. Some planning has been done for proposed Amateur services fixed links in this band, but timing of implementation is unknown. The amateur users are expected to work around any residual interference which spills over from the 2.3 GHz band. Spectrum above 2400 MHz is a so-called “ISM band” managed by a general user licence (used for various purposes but notably, use of the 802.11 protocol for Wi-Fi service, cordless telephones and other ubiquitous appliances).

2.5 GHz band

21. The 2.5 GHz band spans from 2500 to 2690 MHz.
22. Below this range:

• 2400-2483.5 MHz is an ISM band managed by a General User Licence as described earlier; and
• 2483.5-2500 MHz band allocated to Fixed, Mobile and Mobile Satellite services in New Zealand is currently not used by any of these services. Hence no licences exist in this band.
  

23. A guardband is therefore unlikely to be required at the lower edge of the 2.5 GHz band.
24. Above 2690 MHz is a 10 MHz block of spectrum allocated to Radio Astronomy and Space Research services, with all emissions prohibited into this band. A guard band at the upper edge of the 2.5 GHz band (close to 2690 MHz) would be required to provide protection to these passive space research services.