Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (MDS Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1998

Administered by Department of Communications and the Arts

Legislation au F2005B00854 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Commonwealth of Australia

Radiocommunications Act 1992

Radiocommunications Licence Conditions
(MDS Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1998

 

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

Section Page

PART 1—PRELIMINARY

1. Citation 1

2. Scope 1

3. Interpretation 2

PART 2—CONDITIONS FOR EVERY MDS LICENCE

4. Spurious emission of station 2

5. Transmission power from antenna 2

6. Transmissions using a PAL-B emission format with 1 vision carrier

 and 1 sound carrier 3

7. Transmissions using a PAL-B emission format with 1 vision carrier

 and 2 sound carriers 4

8. Tolerance for transmission of vision signals 4

9. Tolerance for transmission of sound signals 5

PART 3—CONDITIONS FOR MDS LICENCE ISSUED
FOR A MDS AREA

10. Notice to the ACA about antenna characteristics 5

Commonwealth of Australia

Radiocommunications Act 1992

Radiocommunications Licence Conditions
(MDS Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1998

 

THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY makes the following Determination under paragraph 107 (1) (f) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

Dated   4 February   1998.

 

A.J SHAW                                                                                                                  Chairman

 

 

R HORTON                                                                                                                    Deputy Chairman

 

Australian Communications Authority

____________

PART 1—PRELIMINARY

Citation

 1. This Determination may be cited as Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (MDS Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1998.

[Note:  This Determination commences on gazettal: see Acts Interpretation Act 1901, ss. 46A and 48.]

Scope

 2. (1) This Determination sets out conditions to which a MDS licence is subject in the following manner:

 (a) every MDS licence is subject to the conditions in Part 2;

 (b) every MDS licence issued for a MDS area is also subject to the conditions in Part 3.

 (2) However, if a condition in this Determination is inconsistent with a condition specified in the licence, the condition specified in the licence applies.

Interpretation

 3. In this Determination:

“licence” means a MDS licence;

“licensee” means:

 (a) the holder of a licence; or

 (b) a person authorised by the holder of a licence to operate a station under the licence;

“MDS area” means an area mentioned in:

 (a) an item in Schedule 1 to the Radiocommunications (Allocation of Multipoint Distribution Station Licences) Determination No. 1 of 1994; or

 (b) section 1.4 of the Radiocommunications (Allocation of Multipoint Distribution Station Licences) Determination No. 1 of 1997;

“station” means a MDS station.

[Note:  For the definitions of other expressions used in this Determination, see the Radiocommunications Act 1992, the Radiocommunications (Definitions) Determination No. 2 of 1993 and the Radiocommunications Regulations.]

PART 2—CONDITIONS FOR EVERY MDS LICENCE

Spurious emission of the station

 4. The level of spurious emission, including the station’s intermodulation products, from a station must be at least 60 dB less than the station’s maximum EIRP.

Transmission power from the antenna

 5. The transmission power of a station must not exceed:

 (a) 100 watts at an angle of elevation of 5 decreasing linearly to 31.6 watts at an angle of elevation of 10; and

 (b) 31.6 watts at an angle of elevation between 10 and 15; and

 (c) 31.6 watts at an angle of elevation of 15 decreasing linearly to 10 watts at an angle of elevation of 20; and

 (d) 10 watts at an angle of elevation between 20 and 90.

Transmissions using a PAL-B emission format with 1 vision carrier and 1 sound carrier

 6. The transmission power of a station using a PAL-B emission format with
1 vision carrier and 1 sound carrier must not exceed the levels shown for the frequencies in Diagram 1.

 

DIAGRAM 1—EMISSION LIMITS FOR A TRANSMISSION
USING 1 VISION CARRIER AND 1 SOUND CARRIER

 

 

 

[Note:  This condition must be read with the technical conditions specified in the licence.]

Transmissions using a PAL-B emission format with 1 vision carrier and 2 sound carriers

 7. The transmission power of a station using a PAL-B emission format with
1 vision carrier and 2 sound carriers must not exceed the levels shown for the frequencies shown in Diagram 2.

 

DIAGRAM 2—EMISSION LIMITS FOR A TRANSMISSION
USING 1 VISION CARRIER AND 2 SOUND CARRIERS

 

 

 

[Note:  This condition must be read with the technical conditions specified in the licence.]

Tolerance for transmission of vision signals

 8. A station transmitting a vision signal must be operated within +/- 0.0005% of the carrier frequency specified in the licence for the vision signal.

Tolerance for transmission of sound signals

 9. A station transmitting a sound signal must be operated within +/- 500 Hz of the carrier frequency specified in the licence for the sound signal.

PART 3—CONDITIONS FOR MDS LICENCE ISSUED FOR A MDS AREA

Notice to the ACA about antenna characteristics

 10. (1) Before operating a station, the licensee must give the ACA written notice about the following characteristics of the station’s antenna:

 (a) the type;

 (b) the number of elements;

 (c) the height above ground level;

 (d) the front to back ratio;

 (e) the azimuth.

 (2) The licensee must give the ACA written notice of any change to a characteristic mentioned in subsection (1) not later than 14 days after the change occurs.

 

 

Overview

The Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (MDS Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1998 was introduced under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 by the Australian Communications Authority to establish specific conditions for Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS) licences. This legislative instrument is aimed at ensuring the efficient and safe operation of MDS stations by setting out technical and operational standards. The conditions outlined in this Determination are applicable to all MDS licences, with additional requirements for licences issued for specific MDS areas. The policy objective is to regulate the use of radiocommunications to prevent interference and ensure that the services provided are of high quality and do not disrupt other radiocommunication services. The Determination sets forth various technical specifications and operational requirements for MDS licences, including limits on spurious emissions, transmission power from the antenna, and the permissible tolerances for transmitting vision and sound signals. Additionally, it mandates that the licensee provide the Australian Communications Authority with specific details about the antenna characteristics before operation and notify the Authority of any changes to these characteristics within a stipulated timeframe. This regulatory framework ensures that MDS services are delivered in a manner that is consistent with national standards and that the use of the radio spectrum is optimised for the benefit of all users.

Scope and Application

The Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (MDS Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1998 applies to every Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS) licence issued under the Radiocommunications Act 1992, with specific conditions set out in Part 2 applying universally and additional conditions in Part 3 applying to licences issued for a designated MDS area. The Act governs the technical and operational standards of MDS stations, ensuring they comply with specified parameters to maintain the integrity and efficiency of radiocommunications services. This legislation applies to the holder of the licence and any authorised persons operating under it. The geographic reach of this determination is nationwide, given it is made under the Commonwealth's authority. There are no explicit exclusions or exemptions stated in the determination, although it allows for conditions specified in the licence to override any inconsistency with the determination. The application of the Act may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, such as the Radiocommunications (Allocation of Multipoint Distribution Station Licences) Determination No. 1 of 1994 and 1997, which define specific MDS areas and related technical conditions.

Key Provisions

The Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (MDS Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1998 sets out specific conditions applicable to Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS) licences under the Radiocommunications Act 1992. The primary sections of the Determination outline the technical and operational standards for stations operating under an MDS licence (sections 4–9). Section 4 mandates that the level of spurious emission, including intermodulation products, must be at least 60 dB below the station's maximum Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP). Section 5 stipulates the transmission power limitations based on the angle of elevation, varying from 100 watts at 5 degrees to 10 watts at 20 degrees. For stations using a PAL-B emission format, Section 6 and Section 7 specify the maximum transmission power levels for stations with one and two sound carriers, respectively, with corresponding frequency limits detailed in Diagrams 1 and 2. Additionally, Sections 8 and 9 impose strict frequency tolerances for vision and sound signal transmissions. The Determination imposes several obligations on the licensees, which include adhering to the specified technical standards and notifying the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) of certain antenna characteristics. According to Section 10, before commencing operations, licensees must provide the ACA with written details about the antenna's type, number of elements, height, front-to-back ratio, and azimuth. Furthermore, any changes to these characteristics must be reported to the ACA within 14 days of the change occurring. This requirement ensures that the ACA has up-to-date information on the operational parameters of each station. Failure to comply with the conditions set forth in the Determination may result in legal consequences. While the Determination does not explicitly detail specific offences or penalties, breaches of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 or associated regulations could lead to enforcement actions by the ACA. Such actions may include fines, licence suspension, or revocation. The penalties for non-compliance can vary significantly depending on the severity and nature of the breach, as outlined in the overarching Radiocommunications Act 1992 and related legislative instruments.

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