Satellite 002 - Satellite Service Licences

Satellite Service Licences

1. Purpose

New Zealand is a signatory to the International Radio Regulations, and has to be seen to be operating in accordance with these regulations. The purpose of this policy is to set out the considerations that pertain to applications for services described in this policy document.

2. Policy

Applications for FIXED SATELLITE service (FSS) licences to uplink to a satellite providing BROADCASTING SATELLITE services (BSS) or FSS 'direct-to-home' (FSS-DTH) must be for spectrum that is paired with spectrum allocated by the International Radio Regulations (IRR) to BSS or FSS-DTH respectively, as adopted in New Zealand.

3. Specific Criteria

In the 12 GHz Ku band, only the 11.7-12.2 and 12.5-12.75 GHz segments are allocated to BSS in New Zealand. The lower segment is constrained by the requirement to protect assignments operating in accordance with Appendix 30/S.30 of the IRR. The upper segment is constrained to the BSS for community reception, with a maximum pfd of -111 dB(W/m2) in 27 MHz, unless otherwise agreed between Administrations.

Also in the 12 GHz Ku band the 12.375 - 12.5 GHz segment is allocated exclusively to the FSS in New Zealand. This segment is suitable for FSS-DTH usage, with a maximum pfd of -109.7 + 0.5 (d - 5) dB(W/m2) in 27 MHz, where d, the angle of transmission signal arrival, is between 5o and 25o above the horizontal plane. For angles of arrival greater than 25o, the maximum pfd is -99.7 dB(W/m2) in 27 MHz.

4. General Technical Considerations

The differences between the way the BSS, FSS-DTH and FSS reception is approached needs to be recognised. In a number of bands, both FSS and BSS are co-primary services, but with different basic parameters regarding the receiving installation.

For example, at Ku band (11.7 - 12.75 GHz), the 11.7 - 12.2 GHz slot is allocated to FIXED (FS), MOBILE (ML) except aero mobile, BROADCASTING (BS), and BSS. The 12.2 - 12.5 GHz slot is allocated to FS, ML except aero mobile, and BS with provision by footnote for FSS (S-E) limited to national and sub-regional systems. The New Zealand adoption of the 12.2 - 12.5 GHz band allocations contains sub-banding provisions such that 12.375 - 12.5 GHz is allocated exclusively to the FSS. The 12.5 - 12.75 GHz slot is allocated to FS, FSS, ML, except aero mobile, and BSS limited to community reception with a pfd not exceeding -111 db(W/m2) in 27 MHz at the edge of coverage. In NZ, sky Network Television Ltd initiated a multi-channel television distribution system, initially with an analogue system but later upgraded to a digital system, operating in the 12.5 - 12.75 GHz slot.

The BSS and FSS-DTH receiving apparatus is typically a 600 or 750 mm parabolic antenna and a domestic-grade satellite receiver installation. The typical antennas for the FSS operating in the same spectrum are generally 1.8 or 2.4 metre in diameter, with significantly higher gain and better sidelobe performance. With BSS receivers, it is expected that there will be a high density of installations, and because of significant differences in the signal level from a GSO BSS transmitter at 36,000 km and a terrestrial omnidirectional BS or FS transmitter at 2 to 30 km distance. In considering the FSS situation, typically in a VSAT environment, the installations would not be densely packed and the antennas would have greater discrimination against terrestrial services. Therefore, there is a probability that frequency sharing between the FSS and the FS (and perhaps the BS) would be feasible.

5. Background

By convention, NZ satellite service licences have recognised the uplink parameters, and implicitly provided protection for the paired downlink spectrum. For the fixed satellite services, this meant that an earth station was licensed to transmit from a specific location within the bandwidth of a single transponder on a specific satellite at a specific maximum power level, and was protected at that location for the receive bandwidth represented by the transponder.

The antenna characteristics were constrained by the requirements of the satellite service provider to protect its satellite from unwanted emissions outside the allocated bandwidth of the transponder, and the Ministry did not put any additional requirements on the licensee. However, it appears that in any station will be for the paired downlink transponder frequency. It is only if the uplink and downlink are on the same satellite beam, as in a VSAT NZ-NZ operation, that the transponder pair would be used in both directions. Therefore, recognition of the probability of non-paired operations must be taken into account, and provision made for potentially full-band receiving operation. This is generally not an issue when there is no co-primary usage of the downlink band, but where the FS is co-primary with the FSS, problems can arise, and coordination of each earth station site is necessary.

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2000 (WRC-00) noted that in some regions, a number of FSS systems provide direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting and resolved to invite the ITU-R to study the current and expected future use of FSS allocations for DTH television transmissions and associated technical, operational and regulatory aspects. The Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau was instructed to report the results of these studies to WRC-03 for consideration as appropriate, in the development of future conference agendas.

Approved By:

Manager
Operational Policy.

Verified By:

Manager
Spectrum Planning