ICAO Handbook on Radio

Frequency Spectrum Requirements

for Civil Aviation

Vol. I - ICAO Spectrum Strategy

Vol. II - Frequency Planning

Loftur Jónasson

ICAO

Aeronautical Spectrum Workshop

Preparation for WRC-15

Cairo, Egypt, 16 – 17 February 2015

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Air/ground communications

Navigation

Air/ground communications

Navigation

Surveillance

EPIRB / ELT

LDACSAeroMACSUAS terrestrialUAS satellite

Satellite communications

MTSAT andInmarsat

Iridium

Glide path DME

GNSSL5 L1

SSR PSR PSR

MLS

Radio Altimeter

Airborne Doppler radar

Airborne weather radar

LF band (#5) MF band (#6) HF band (#7) VHF band (#8)

VHF band (#8) UHF band (#9) SHF band (#10) EHF band (#11)

ASDE radar

Frequency range 100 kHz – 100 MHz

Frequency range 100 MHz – 100 GHz

Notes:Drawing not to scaleNot all Regional or sub-Regional allocations are shownBand identification (e.g. VHF) and band # per Radio RegulationsThe satellite communication bands used by MTSAT and Inmarsat are not allocated the the Aeronautical Mobile Satellte (R) Service

Former band letters

Airborne radar

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Air/ground voice / data

L S C X Ku KaK

Air/ground communications

Navigation

Air/ground communications

Navigation

Surveillance

EPIRB / ELT

LDACSAeroMACSUAS terrestrialUAS satellite

Satellite communications

MTSAT andInmarsat

Iridium

Glide path DME

GNSSL5 L1

SSR PSR PSR

MLS

Radio Altimeter

Airborne Doppler radar

Airborne weather radar

LF band (#5) MF band (#6) HF band (#7) VHF band (#8)

VHF band (#8) UHF band (#9) SHF band (#10) EHF band (#11)

ASDE radar

Frequency range 100 kHz – 100 MHz

Frequency range 100 MHz – 100 GHz

Notes:Drawing not to scaleNot all Regional or sub-Regional allocations are shownBand identification (e.g. VHF) and band # per Radio RegulationsThe satellite communication bands used by MTSAT and Inmarsat are not allocated the the Aeronautical Mobile Satellte (R) Service

Former band letters

Airborne radar

Overview

Volume I – ICAO Spectrum Strategy and Policies

Volume II – ICAO Frequency Assignment Planning

Pre-publication drafts of Doc 9718 and other relevant material can be downloaded, free of charge, from the ACP website (Repository section) at

http://www.icao.int/safety/acp

The latest Edition of Doc 9718, now called Doc 9718 Volume I, first edition,

became available in printed format in March 2014.

The new Volume II was published in September 2013.

3

ICAO Spectrum Strategy

✓Long term spectrum use of current and future radio systems

ICAO Spectrum Policy Statements

✓Specific actions to assist in meeting the Strategic Objectives

ICAO Position for future WRC’s

✓Medium and long term availability of spectrum for aviation

Handbook Volume I

Spectrum Strategy and Policies Overall ICAO Spectrum Policy

(approved by Council)

4

Role of ICAO

✓ In ITU-R (Study Groups) and in Regional Telecommunication Organizations

✓At ITU World Radiocommunication Conferences

✓ In frequency coordination and registration (also ITU)

Role of the ITU and Regional Telecommunication Organizations

✓Develop technical material (ITU-R Study Groups)

✓Amend Radio Regulations (at WRCs)

Handbook Volume I

Spectrum Strategy and Policies Background material in the Handbook, (Volume I) (1)

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Policy Statements on frequency allocations and technical details (Chapter 7), including:

✓ Frequency allocations and footnotes in ITU Radio Regulations

✓ Information on Aviation use

✓ Commentary (specific comments on ITU and ICAO review In frequency coordination and registration (also ITU)

Spectrum Strategy (Chapter 8)

Handbook Volume I

Spectrum Strategy and Policies Background material in the Handbook, (Volume I) (2)

6

Published for the first time in 2013

Provides globally harmonized frequency assignment planning criteria and guidance material to support the application of SARPs in Annex 10, Vol. V

Developed in conjunction with the revisions to Annex 10, Vol. V

Developed by ACP Working Group F (now FSMP)

Implementation through Regional Air Navigation Agreement by PIRG

To support the development of Global COM lists and the Global Air Navigation Plan

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning

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General methodology for compatibility analysis

✓General model for compatibility assessment

✓Based on:

• Protection of desired signal at receiver input

• Not to exceed maximum permissible distortion of receiver output signal

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 1 (1) General methodology

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TransmitterFeeder

lossAntenna

gainPropagation

lossAntenna

gainFeeder

lossReceiver

PTd Fd Gd Ld Gr Fr PTr

e.i.r.p Dantenna input Pd

TransmitterFeeder

lossAntenna

gainPropagation

loss

PTu Fu Gu Lu

antenna input Pu

receiver input RPd

receiver input RPu

e.i.r.p U

Propagation model

✓Based on free space propagation

(Re. Recommendation ITU-R P.525)

Propagation model does not accommodate certain phenomena which are difficult to predict such as

✓Changes in the refractive index of the atmosphere

✓Ducting

ITU has developed propagation curves for aeronautical communication and navigation systems (Recommendation ITU-R P.528)

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 1 (2) General methodology

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Interference model (co-frequency separation)

✓Conforms to the general methodology in Chapter 1

✓Model for establishing separation distances to prevent air-to-air interference:

✓Minimum separation between stations A and B: Range A + Radio horizon A + Radio Horizon B +Range B

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 2 (1) Frequency assignment planning criteria for VHF air-ground communication systems

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duA B

ab

Station A Range = RA = dd

Station B Range = RB

dd

Interference model (co-frequency)

✓Aeronautical broadcast stations (ATIS, VOLMET)

• Do not involve aircraft transmission

• Separation distances are less

Interference model (adjacent frequency separation)

✓Same model as for co-frequency separation

✓Takes into account the attenuation of the undesired signal by the (aircraft) receiver

✓1st adjacent channel separation (25 kHz): 10 NM

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 2 (2) Frequency assignment planning criteria for VHF air-ground communication systems

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RHA

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ab

Broadcast station A

Broadcast station B

15 NMRA

Frequency separation and channelling

✓25 kHz and 8.33 kHz channel spacing.

✓Special consideration for mixed environment where both are applied

Designated Operational Coverage (DOC)

✓Table of uniform values for DOC

✓Complies with common values used in most Regions

✓Area services ACC-FIS – are in many cases not specified

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 2 (3) Frequency assignment planning criteria for VHF air-ground communication systems

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Calculation of separation distances.

✓Methodology for establishing separation distances

✓Air/ground communications

✓Aeronautical broadcast communications

✓Aerodrome surface communications

For each of these types the Handbook clarifies the principles and method used when the separation distances were established. A summary of the results (25 kHz channel spacing) is on the next slide

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 2 (4) Frequency assignment planning criteria for VHF air-ground communication systems

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Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 2 (5) Frequency assignment planning criteria for VHF air-ground communication systems

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VICTIM

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TWR 156 156 338 273 212 338 273 338 273 338 338

AFIS 156 156 338 273 212 338 273 338 273 338 338

AS

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APP-U 338 338 520 455 394 520 455 520 455 520 520

APP-I

273 273 455 390 329 325 390 455 390 455 455

APP-L

212 212 394 329 268 394 329 394 329 394 394

ACC-U

(Note 1) 338 338 520 455 394 520 455 520 455 520 520

ACC-L

(Note 1) 273 273 455 390 329 455 390 455 390 455 455

FIS-U

(Note 1) 338 338 520 455 394 520 455 520 455 520 520

FIS-L

(Note 1) 273 273 455 390 329 455 390 455 390 455 455

VOLMET

338 338 520 455 394 520 455 520 455 15 15

ATIS

338 338 520 455 394 520 455 520 455 15 15

Frequency planning criteria for VDL were considered by the ACP between 2002 – 2008

Same methodology as for developing planning criteria for VHF voice systems

Criteria for VDL (Mode 2 and Mode 4):

The Handbook contains specific considerations to be taken into account

when using VDL on the surface of an airport.

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Chapter 2 (6) Frequency assignment planning criteria for VHF air-ground communication systems

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Interference source

DSB-AM VDL 2 VDL 4

Victim DSB-AM 1 2

VDL 2 1 1 1

VDL 4 2 1 1

Future work will concentrate on developing harmonized and updated planning criteria for aeronautical radionavigation systems

The Handbook and other relevant material can be downloaded from the ACP website (Repository section) at

http://www.icao.int/safety/acp

Handbook Volume II

Frequency assignment planning Future work

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