Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (PTS Licence) Amendment Determination 2018 (No. 1) (Cth)

Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (PTS Licence) Amendment Determination 2018 (No. 1)

The Australian Communications and Media Authority makes the following amendment determination under paragraph 107(1)(f) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

Dated: 15 November 2018

Nerida O’Loughlin

[signed]

Member

Chris Jose

[signed]

Member/General Manager

Australian Communications and Media Authority

1  Name

This is the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (PTS Licence) Amendment Determination 2018 (No. 1).

2  Commencement

  This instrument commences at the start of the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Note:    The Federal Register of Legislation may be accessed at Authority

This instrument is made under paragraph 107(1)(f) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

4  Amendment

  The instrument that is specified in Schedule 1 is amended as set out in that Schedule.

Schedule 1—Amendment

(section 4)

Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (PTS Licence) Determination 2013 [F2014L00045]

1  After section 5A

Insert:

5B  Synchronisation condition

(1)  If, on or after 30 March 2020:

(a)  interference occurs between:

(i)  a radiocommunications device (the first device) operated under a PTS transmitter licence (the first licence); and

(ii)  a radiocommunications device (the other device) operated under a spectrum licence or another PTS transmitter licence (the other licence); and

(b)  the first licence authorises the operation of a radiocommunications device in the part of the spectrum from 3400 to 3575 MHz within the relevant area; and

(c)  the other licence authorises the operation of a radiocommunications device in the relevant band within the relevant area; and

(d)  the level of interference to the first device or the other device exceeds the compatibility requirement set out in the Radiocommunications Advisory Guidelines (Managing Interference to Spectrum Licensed Receivers – 3.4 GHz Band) 2015 as in force from time to time; and

(e)  either the person operating the first device or the person operating the other device wishes to resolve the interference; and

(f)  the first person and the person operating the other device have not agreed how to manage the interference;

  then the person operating the first device must manage the interference by:

(g)  either:

(i)  operating the first device with a frame structure that uses both uplink-downlink configuration 2 and special subframe configuration 6; or

(ii)  operating the first device using a sequence and duration of radio emissions that is consistent with those configurations (disregarding any time at which the device is not making a radio emission); and

(h)  synchronising the timing of the frame structure or other sequence of radio emissions of the first device with the timing of the frame structure or other sequence of radio emissions of the other device (disregarding a device at a time at which the device is not making a radio emission).

Note 1:    A licensee may act in accordance with subparagraph 5B(1)(g)(ii) by operating a transmitter in a manner that complies with the specification made by 3^rd Generation Partnership Project numbered 3GPP TS 38.211 and published at

Note 2:    The condition in section 5B only applies when interference occurs and where there is no other measure agreed to between the licensees (or authorised third parties) to resolve the interference. This means synchronisation can be done on a site/cell specific basis.  During any period in which two persons are taking steps to resolve the interference issue or synchronise, the ACMA will generally give priority to the device registered first in time in any interference dispute, meaning that device or devices registered later-in-time will generally be required to accept any interference or cease causing interference during this time.

Note 3:    See section 6 of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Radiocommunications Licence Conditions – 3.4 and 3.6 GHz Bands Interference Management) Direction 2018.

(2)  In this section:

3GPP TS 36.211 means the document entitled “LTE; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Physical channels and modulation (3GPP TS 36.211 version 14.6.0 Release 14)” published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), as it existed at the time the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Radiocommunications Licence Conditions – 3.4 and 3.6 GHz Bands Interference Management) Direction 2018 was made.

PTS transmitter licence means a transmitter licence that is a PTS licence.

relevant area has the meaning given by subsection 4(1) of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Radiocommunications Licence Conditions – 3.4 and 3.6 GHz Bands Interference Management) Direction 2018, as in force from time to time.

relevant band means the part of the spectrum from 3400 to 3700 MHz.

special subframe configuration 6 means a special subframe configuration, as referred to in clause 4.2 of 3GPP TS 36.211, that is consistent with special subframe configuration 6, as referred to in Table 4.2-1 of 3GPP TS 36.211.

uplink-downlink configuration 2 means an uplink-downlink configuration, as referred to in clause 4.2 of 3GPP TS 36.211, that is consistent with uplink-downlink configuration 2, as referred to in Table 4.2-2 of 3GPP TS 36.211.