The spectrum needs for Public Protection and Disaster Relief have been raised during the last few years and the ECC is investigating various solutions to meet such requirements. In particular, the safety and security community needs access to wideband and broadband services such as video, and has specific requirements in terms of priority, availability or security. Adequate levels of harmonisation will require a long term effort from the ECC and relevant CEPT Administrations at national level.
In its strategic plan for the period 2015-2020, the ECC identified at the time, the need to seek an appropriate response to spectrum requirement and harmonisation needs for PPDR.
This page contains information on:
1 Background and Definitions on PPDR
European agencies are working together in the Electronic Communications Committee to establish harmonised frequency bands for Public Protection and disaster Relief (PPDR) services and applications. Definitions for PPDR are included in ITU-R Resolution 646 (REV.WRC 15) ECC Report 102 and ITU-R Report M.2377.
Further ITU-R Recommendations which apply:
PPDR services are provided by a service or agency, recognised as such by the national administrations, that provides immediate and rapid assistance in situations where there is a direct risk to life or limb, individual or public health or safety, to private or public property, or the environment but not necessarily limited to these situations (Source: Commission Recommendation C(2003)2657).
The ITU-R Resolution 646 (REV.WRC 15) on PPDR encourages administrations, for the purposes of achieving regionally harmonised frequency bands/ranges for advanced PPDR solutions, to identify spectrum in the frequency bands/ranges or parts thereof when undertaking their national planning in 380-470 MHz as the frequency range within which the band 380 385/ 390 395 MHz is a preferred core harmonised band for permanent public protection activities; and parts of these frequency bands are most commonly identified in Europe nowadays for PPDR, also based on the Lisbon Treaty Article 196 between NATO. It further encouraged administrations to consider parts of the frequency range 694-894 MHz when undertaking their national planning for their PPDR applications, in particular broadband, in order to achieve harmonization.
The Radio Spectrum Policy Group published in 2013 an RSPG Report on Sectorial Needs including a strategy how to deal in future with PPDR spectrum requests. The Radio Spectrum Policy Programme includes Article 8.3 on PPDR. In addition, there is an European Council Recommendation on improving radio communication between operational units in border areas.
To find an appropriate response to spectrum requirement and harmonisation needs for PPDR was one of the strategic topics for the period 2015-2020 identified by the ECC in its strategic plan of that time.
2 Main ECC deliverables on PPDR
3 Activities in the ECC on PPDR
After the finalisation of work in PT FM49, this project team was closed in May 2016. The webpage of Project Team FM49 can be found here.
The ECC Decision (16)02 for broadband PPDR followed ECC Report 218. The main concept is that it is not required to designate identical (harmonised) frequency bands for broadband PPDR. This concept for BB-PPDR foresees that the required level of interoperability is to be realised through the availability of multi-band broadband PPDR user equipment (several 400 MHz and 700 MHz options) and adoption of common technical standard (i.e. LTE and its evolutions). Synergies with other applications having similar requirements as well as on the network level will also be considered and further studied in the future.
The ECC Decision (16)02 covers the flexible harmonisation concept according to ECC Report 218 and the technical conditions to be defined for dedicated BB-PPDR spectrum in the 700 MHz and 400 MHz ranges. The ECC#42 in June 2016 finally approved ECC Decision (16)02 for publication. However, additional technical studies regarding BB-PPDR in the range 410-430 MHz resulted in the its revision in March 2019.
Figure: 700 MHz Options for BB-PPDR
The ECC monitors the evolution of the BB-PPDR terminal design, also in relation with a liaison statement that was sent to standardisation bodies (ETSI/3GPP).
Technical spectrum compatibility and sharing studies for BB-PPDR applications were conducted in Project Team SE7 leading to ECC Reports 239, 240 and 283.
CEPT Report 53 considered alternative options (M2M, SDL, PMSE, BB-PPDR) for the 700 MHz duplex gap and these have been listed in ECC//DEC/(15(01). BB-PPDR can be accommodated within the 700 MHz range by either designating spectrum for dedicated BB-PPDR, use of commercial mobile fixed communication network (MFCN) or a combination of both to fulfil national PPDR requirements. Harmonised technical requirements for the use of MFCN in the 700 MHz band (703-733 MHz and 758-788 MHz) already exist in ECC Decision (15)01.
Concerning the 700 MHz options for broadband PPDR, ECC Decision (15)01 includes block edge mask elements for the protection of PPDR. These requirements are applicable when PPDR and M2M options are implemented in the MFCN guard bands or the duplex gap at a national level.
The March 2019 revision of ECC/DEC/(16)02, includes band options within the range 410-430 MHz for BB-PPDR, based on the outcome of the technical studies (ECC Report 283). The added frequency range can offer national flexibility, e.g. in the context of additional spectrum beside the 700 MHz and 450 MHz ranges. Now also channeling arrangements of 1.4 MHz, 3 MHz, and 5 MHz LTE FDD could be implemented in the paired frequency bands in 410.0-415.0 MHz / 420.0-425.0 MHz, 411.0-416.0 MHz / 421.0-426.0 MHz and 412.0-417.0 MHz / 422.0-427.0 MHz.
The WGFM (FM54) activities were not just focused on BB-PPDR. The outcome of ECC Report 283 had also been used for the development of ECC Decision (19)02 for land mobile systems and which replaced the regulations previously in force for narrowband and wideband PMR/PAMR (ECC Decisions (06)06 and (04)06). This ECC Decision also takes into account the ECC Report 292 (on the current use, future opportunities and guidance to administrations for the 400 MHz PMR/PAMR frequencies.
ECC also approved the March 2019 revision of ECC Decision (08)05 on The harmonisation of frequency bands for the implementation of digital Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) narrow band and wide band radio applications in bands within the 380-470 MHz range.
Furthermore, ECC approved the ECC Decision (19)01 on The withdrawal of ECC Decision (11)04 of 9 December 2011 on exemption from individual licensing of digital terminals of narrowband and wideband PMR/PAMR/PPDR systems and free circulation and use of digital terminals of narrowband and wideband PPDR systems operating in the 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 380-470 MHz and 800/900 MHz bands.
Final approval of these revised and new ECC Decisions occurred in March 2019. See the ECC Newsletter article: Broadband and IoT: Introduction and Opportunities for Land Mobile Systems in the 400 MHz ranges (about the revision of ECC Decision (16)02 to include 410-430 MHz)
4 Additional information on PPDR
During the last years, the ECC has published within its newsletters various articles related to PPDR:
- Flexible Harmonisation of Radio Frequencies for Broadband Public Protection and Disaster Relief, Nov. 2015;
- Public Protection and Disaster Relief: emergency communications live from the scene, August 2013;
- Europe's Broadband Spectrum Strategy for Public Safety, October 2011
The ECC decided at its 41st meeting in March 2016 to have a Joint ETSI-CEPT Workshop on Public Protection and Disaster Relief - Regulatory Changes and New Opportunities for Broadband PPDR.
The event took place on 29 September 2016, in ETSI Headquarters, Sophia Antipolis, France.
This one-day workshop on Broadband Public Protection and Disaster Relief (BB-PPDR) provided a platform for all relevant parties, especially standardization and manufacturing industry, PPDR organisations (authorities, service providers), spectrum regulators, PPDR users (police fire brigade, ambulance services), Ministries of Interior. The workshop informed the audience about the up-to-date situation on BB-PPDR, identifying required future activities in various areas (standardisation, national implementation, regulation) and fostering the interrelation between those areas. See the workshop webpage here