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Future use of the 600 MHz spectrum (paused and not active)

Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) has undertaken initial technical work on the future use of 600 MHz. Further work on 600 MHz is now paused and will be picked up at a later stage, with no substantive activities planned for the next few years.

Purpose

RSM are providing a summary on work on new mobile spectrum use in 600 MHz to date following technical discussions with relevant stakeholders. This summary outlines considerations on mobile band plans, radio microphones and Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). Further work on 600 MHz is now paused and will be picked up at a later stage, with no substantive activities for the next few years.

Background

In the 2018 consultation on preparations for 5G in New Zealand, RSM indicated potential use of 600 MHz for mobile. In 2022, RSM consulted on its Spectrum Outlook, and in 2023 the Spectrum Outlook - 2023 to 2027 was published, with 600 MHz mobile listed on the indicative work program. Submissions were received on these consultations which were taken into account at that time.

The 622-703 MHz range is underutilised and has not had significant use, except for radio microphones, since the completion of Digital Terrestrial Television Restacking in 2013, which allowed for 700 MHz to be repurposed for mobile (4G LTE at that time). The 622-698 MHz frequency band was originally held for the possibility of further Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) expansion but demand was met with the already assigned channels below 622 MHz. Given this, the 622-698 MHz band was no longer needed for DTT expansion and is better suited to being repurposed to mobile. It is noted that the way content is being consumed (for example, use of other platforms such as streaming services) is changing and may continue to do so in the coming years. 

The current DTT management rights and related spectrum licences expire on 30 November 2033. RSM will normally start a review of expiring rights up to six years prior (around 2027), with decisions being made around five years before expiry (around 2028), see the Policy rules for Crown Spectrum Management Rights (PIB 59) for an outline of this process. This is subject to the policies and decisions of the Government of the day. The expiry of management rights and related licences can provide an opportunity for replanning, for new / other use including any restacking of existing services. 

In the last few years RSM has undertaken initial work on the possibility of enabling 600 MHz for mobile use which has so far included discussions with relevant stakeholders on 600 MHz mobile band plans, radio microphone usage and the potential restacking of DTT channels. These discussions have been largely technical in nature to better understand the potential issues, options and what may need further investigation. This work has been limited in scope and has not covered other areas that may need to be considered for potential 600 MHz mobile use. Figure 1 below outlines the existing spectrum use in the 502-806 MHz frequency range, including DTT channels, radio microphones, the existing 700 MHz mobile band and the potential 600 MHz band plans that are being considered.

Further work on 600 MHz is now paused while RSM works on other priority projects. No further work is planned for the next few years.

Text description for figure 1 – Overview of 502-806 MHz frequency range and potential future use of 600 MHz Mobile

Mobile Band plan considerations

Two possible mobile band plan options have been considered for use in New Zealand. These mobile band plans support mobile technologies such as 4th and 5th generation mobile and possibly 6th generation in the future. These are shown in Table 1 and Figure 2 below, as well as Figure 1 above. 

Table 1: Potential Frequency arrangements (band plans) for 600 MHz mobile

Text description for figure 2 – Potential 600 MHz band plans under consideration

RSM has a strong preference for using the APT 600 MHz band plan (3GPP n105 / ITU-R A13) if possible. This band has been recently developed through international fora and completed standardisation in 3GPP in 2023. The APT 600 MHz band plan provides 2 x 40 MHz (paired Frequency Division Duplex) which is an additional 2 X 5 MHz compared with the 2 x 35 MHz (paired Frequency Division Duplex) North American 600 MHz band plan (3GPP n71 / ITU-R A12). RSM’s view is that this makes better use of the spectrum where more bandwidth could be made available to mobile. This also eliminates the 698-703 MHz gap between the APT 600 MHz band plan and the APT 700 MHz (3GPP n28 / ITU-R A5) band plan that would be unusable for mobile, although it could be used for another purpose. 

The APT 600 MHz band has more band combinations that are compatible with New Zealand’s existing mobile band plans (predominately aligned with European band plans) than the North American 600 MHz band plan which has very few band combinations. This means that APT 600 MHz is better suited to existing New Zealand band plans. The APT 600 MHz band plan was also developed with consideration of APT 700 MHz and with compatibility between the two bands in mind. This is reflective of the current situation which could change in the future (such as in future 3GPP Releases).

At this time, if New Zealand were to adopt the APT 600 MHz band plan there would be challenges in sourcing equipment that supports this band. To RSM’s understanding, commercial products that support the APT 600 MHz band are still under development and may be available in the coming years, when the regional and global market regulatory situation is clearer. Overall, it is likely that vendors would need spectrum to be made available in the APT 600 MHz  band plan configuration in a few countries or a region to create economies of scale to trigger commercial demand and a wider range of products becoming available. As New Zealand is a small market and a technology taker that sources most equipment from the global market, it would need equipment availability to make the APT 600 MHz band plan work.

The North American 600 MHz band plan currently has both base station and user equipment available that supports this band. However, this equipment ecosystem is focused on the North American market, and does not favour the mobile band plans and combinations used in New Zealand. 

Radio microphones considerations

Radio microphones, otherwise known as wireless microphones or Program Making and Special Events (PMSE) are used for a wide range of applications in small, medium, large and mega events throughout the country on a regular basis including:

• Concerts / festivals / sports events
• Screen production
• Screen studios and other broadcasting production (TV and sports)
• Theatre and musical productions
• Education schools and tertiary institutions
• Musicians and bands own equipment
• Corporates, boardrooms, corporate events (for example, conferences, trade shows)
• Places of worship.

Radio microphones are specialist equipment used by professional and non-professional users. Radio microphones, based on the predominant technologies today (such as narrow band analogue and digital) can need a significant amount of spectrum to support large events. Less spectrum is needed for small and medium events. There is a range of spectrum estimates needed to support these events. Radio microphones operate under General User Licences today in the 502-606 MHz (500 MHz band), 622-698 MHz (600 MHz band) and the 1785-1805 MHz (1800 MHz band), and some other short range device frequency bands may also be used. See the Radio microphones page for further detail.

Radio microphones need to use the available ‘gaps’ (low interference / other emission frequency ranges) in the spectrum and at locations / areas that do not cause interference to other licenced users. In the 500 MHz band, there are a large number of DTT stations which radio microphones must work around (see the Register of Radio Frequencies and Digital television channel usage table). The 600 MHz frequency band is currently empty of other licenced users and therefore has been favoured by radio microphone users since the 700 MHz project which concluded in 2013. At that time many radio microphone users moved from 700 MHz to 500 MHz and 600 MHz, typically through changing equipment. Radio microphones in use today may have a limited tuning range (for example, from single frequency, to a few MHz up to around 100 MHz).

It is likely that 600 MHz mobile will come into use in the future and this would mean a reduction in the ‘gaps’ available for radio microphone use, as well as a reduction in the overall spectrum available. Based on the current DTT spectrum usage and current radio microphone technology, the remaining ‘gaps’ in major centres may be insufficient for radio microphones to support large events. This could mean that a spectrum management / spectrum sharing regime (see section 3.1.2 ‘Spectrum Sharing’ in the Spectrum Outlook - 2023 to 2027) would need to be developed around these major centres. One option considered was having a 600 MHz mobile exclusion zone from these areas. Other suggestions to have 600 MHz mobile shut down in areas where large events were occurring were considered, although the feasibility of this is questionable, particularly if it means reducing services to mobile subscribers. For other areas in the country (for example, where there is little or no DTT use) there would be sufficient gaps and spectrum for large events but radio microphones would need to make better use of 500 MHz band. In all cases there would continue to be sufficient ‘gaps’ and spectrum to support small and medium events.

Radio microphones have continued to favour the 500 MHz and 600 MHz frequency bands because of the wide range of globally available equipment. Finding an alternative frequency band for radio microphones to move to is highly unlikely given the technologies available and other spectrum use in New Zealand. It may be possible to investigate some additional complementary frequency bands where equipment is available, but these will not be a substitute for existing spectrum. Further work would be needed to look at the feasibility of these bands and licensing approaches may also need to be considered. 

It is expected there will be evolution in radio microphone technology in the coming years. New, more efficient technologies such as Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS) are now coming to market and have been permitted in the 500 MHz band since December 2024 and are permitted in the 1800 MHz band. WMAS is currently targeted at high end professional users, which will be beneficial at large events. Uptake of WMAS may take several years, and it could be a long time before there is wide-spread adoption by users. In addition to this, spectrum usage of DTT may also change and evolve in the coming years, changing the availability of spectrum in the 500 MHz particularly with the expiry of DTT rights in 2033. 

While there is no change for radio microphone users in the interim, users should be planning for 600 MHz mobile use in the future and guidance has been is provided on the Radio microphones page noted above.

Digital Television Restacking

DTT channels 38 and 39 in the 606-622 MHz frequency range are held in private Management Right 369 by Te Mātāwai for the Māori Television Service. The Māori Television Service (Te Aratuku Whakaata Irirangi Māori) Act 2003 and Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016 (Māori Language Act 2016) both apply.

DTT channels 38 and 39 (see the Crown Management Right Band Plans (PIB 24)) in the 606-622 MHz frequency range overlap both the potential APT and North American 600 MHz mobile band plans. These overlapping channels significantly limit the spectrum available to use within the 600 MHz mobile band plans (that is, limited to above 622 MHz) and the areas in which 600 MHz could operate.

Discussions were held with the relevant parties on the possibility of moving DTT channels 38 and 39 to DTT channels 30 and 31 in the 542-548 MHz frequency range. These discussions were not concluded.

It is noted that all DTT management rights and related spectrum licences expire on 30 November 2033. RSM will normally start a review of expiring rights six years prior to expiry (around 2027) with decisions being made around five years before expiry (around 2028).

Next steps

Further work on 600 MHz is now paused while RSM works on other priority projects and no further work is planned for the next few years. Work may resume when RSM starts the process around the expiry of DTT Rights which may be in the 2027-2028 period. When the next Spectrum Outlook is published (looking beyond 2027), the 600 MHz band will likely continue to be listed, along with further detail on the progress to date.

Consultation: Preparing for 5G in New Zealand – technical consultation

New Zealand Spectrum Outlook 2023 to 2027: A forward looking view of radio spectrum management

Radio Microphone Devices

Register of Radio Frequencies(external link)

Digital television channel usage table