Coordination between Environment Canada (NMHS) and Industry Canada (Spectrum Regulator)

1st ITU/WMO SEMINAR ON USE OF RADIO SPECTRUM FOR METEOROLOGY, GENEVA, 16-18 SEP 2009

Gilles FournierEC RF Coordinator, Vice-Chair WMO SG-RFCMeteorological Service of CanadaWeather and Environmental Monitoring

www.ec.gc.ca

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Outline

• Environment Canada Program Activity Architecture

• The Radio-Frequency Coordination Process within Environment Canada

• Canada’s Working Structure on Spectrum• Industry Canada –Environment Canada

Cooperation on Non-WRC Matters• Challenges Working with the Spectrum Regulator• ConclusionsSpecial thanks to Bun-Ret Ly and Chantal Gazaille

from Industry Canada

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2. Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians

2A Environmental Science and Monitoring Program

2A1 Weather and Environmental Monitoring Program

Jim Abraham

2A2 Weather and Environmental Prediction Research Program

Charles Lin

2A3 Emerging Environmental Prediction and Monitoring Strategies

Program Charles Lin

a Atmospheric conditions near the surface are monitored

Dave Wartman

b Atmospheric conditions aloft are monitored

Dave Wartman

c Inland water levels and flows are monitored

Al Pietroniro

d Emerging space-based monitoring is accessed

Mike Manore

e Network Strategy and Design Mike Manore

a Numerical Weather and Chemical Prediction

Gilbert Brunet

b Data Assimilation and Satellite Meteorology

Gilbert Brunet

c Cloud physics and severe weather processes

Gilbert Brunet

d Ice Research Greg Flato

e Water Cycle PredictionAl Pietroniro (NHRC)

g Global and regional climate modelling

Francis Zwiers

h Climate ProcessesFrancis Zwiers

i Climate Trends and AnalysisFrancis Zwiers

j Remote Sounding of Atmospheric Composition and Radiation

Keith Puckett

k Atmospheric science based assessment

Angus Fergusson

a Integrated monitoring and reporting strategy

Mike Manore and Ken Harris

b Emerging Environmental Prediction Science

Gilbert Brunet

c Implementation of improved and emerging Environmental Prediction

capabilities André Méthot

d Development of improved Environmental Prediction services for

Canadians Mark Cantwell

f Archives, Analysis and Data Management

Diane Johnston

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RF-CoordinationISO-9001 Process• ISO Process on EM

Spectrum Protection Coordination created in in 2008

• Process metrics difficult to measure as outcome not controllable: – However

appropriate interventions can be tracked and assessed.

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• In Canada, the structure dealing with WRC issues is setup by the National Spectrum Regulator, i.e. Industry Canada (IC):– Canadian Preparatory Committee (CPC):

• Sub-Working Groups (e.g.: SWG 2A et 2B) report to Working Groups (e.g.: WG 2)

• Working Groups (WG) report to CPC• CPC approves Canadian contributions to CITEL, CPM and WRC

– Canadian National Organization (CNO):• Canada mirrors the Study Group (SG)/Working Party (WP)

structure of ITU-R - same technical terms of reference apply• Contributions to ITU-R WPs and SGs are approved by CNO WPs

first, then by their CNO SGs (same process as ITU-R’s)• CNO CITEL PCC-II Group deals with regional (ITU Region 2)

issues• Groups working on/from US-Canada bi-lateral agreements• Various groups are setup as needed to deal with non WRC

issues of national nature, e.g. adapting Canadian spectrum regulations, standards, specifications

Canada’s Working Structure on Spectrum

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Canadian Preparatory Committee (CPC)

Canadian Preparatory Committee (CPC)Canadian Preparatory Committee (CPC)Committee responsible for promoting Canadian interests at WRC-12

Working Group 1:Terrestrial Issues

Working Group 2:Satellite and

Science Issues

Working Group 3:Regulatory and Maritime Issues

Working Group 4:Future Work

Programme and Other Issues

Sub-Working Groups

1A-1 Radiolocation1A-2 Radionavigation and Aeronautical1B. Fixed and Mobile Services

Sub-Working Groups

2A. Science Issues2B. Mobile Satellite Issues

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WRC-12 Issues and Canadian Stakeholders

Direct interest

Indirect interest

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IC-EC Cooperation on Non-WRC Matters

• Numerous national ad-hoc groups working on non WRC issues, e.g.:– RSS-200 on devices using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology– SRSP-513 for Advanced Wireless Services in the Bands 1710-1755

MHz and 2110-2155 MHz– SRSP-154 for Land Mobile and Fixed Radio Services Operating in the

Band 1670-1675 MHz– Monitoring of Intra-Aircraft Wireless Systems Communications

(IAWC)– Boeing/EC/IC field studies on airborne RLAN versus C-band weather

radars– EC/IC/CRC field studies on ground-based RLAN versus C-band

weather radars– Discussions with Cisco on ground-based RLAN systems in 5GHz– EC/IC/RABC/CanWEA on the establishment of guidelines for wind

farm projects– EC/NOAA/IC Weather Radio coordination

• EC responsible to register all of its systems operating in radiocommunications services

• EC seeks help from IC, CSA, the international community (e.g. WMO)… as required

• EC responds to requests from IC

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Challenges Working with the Regulator (1/3)

DATASPECTRUM ANALYSIS

FORECAST-WARNING

DISSEMINATION

VERIFICATION & ARCHIVING

No data = no forecast-warning /Degraded data =

degraded forecast-warning

No spectrum = no data /

Degraded spectrum = degraded data

Simplistic Weather Forecasting Process

However the relationship in the chain from spectrum to actions taken based on output is extremely complex, leading to difficulties in building business cases

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Challenges Working with the Regulator (2/3)

• Spectrum management is not a core part of an NMHS' mandate - resources for RF-Coordination are generally quite limited reducing the ability to respond quickly and thoroughly to emerging issues

• NMHS use a wide variety of bands for various purposes, covering many radiocommunications services.  It is difficult to keep up with the rapidly emerging issues and volume of documentation

• Frequently the NMHS are using systems that are not used by the private sector so that there is little familiarity of the equipment, the spectrum uses, and the particular sensitivities.  The private sector and regulators sometimes apply inappropriate assumptions in their analyses as a result of this lack of knowledge

• The increasingly complex telecommunications environment requires much cross-specialization coordination and the bringing together of members of various small communities of experts with limited availability

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Challenges Working with the Regulator (3/3)

• Regulators and other stakeholders generally have little understanding of the NMHS systems, their use of spectrum, their mandates and how spectrum management decisions can impact their public-good results:– climate and weather do not “recognize” national/regional

borders– data exchange and use is global because the atmosphere and

its processes are global.  Loss of data in one region can adversely affect many regions

– spectrum use may vary by country/region due to legitimate, non-discretionary climatological reasons (C-band vs. S-band for example)

– passive sensing has specific purposes and special needs - a rise in the noise level that may be considered small for some spectrum use can destroy passive sensing capability

• Broadcasting/Communications services are only one small part of the critical services in case of a disaster.  Monitoring the situation and gathering appropriate data for analysis is equally important - and that requires adequate spectrum

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Conclusions • Coordination between National Meteorological and

Hydrological Services and National Radiocommunication Administrations/Regulators is critical to our community

• It is essential for the NMHSs to maintain close contact with their NRA/Rs and to actively participate in their national radiofrequency processes

• It is desirable that NMHSs, through their national delegations, participate in the regional and international radiofrequency processes

• NMHSs can count on the support of the WMO Steering Group-Radiofrequency Coordination members in their dealings with radiofrequency matters

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List of Acronyms

• CanWEA – Canadian Wind Energy Association

• CITEL – Inter-American Telecommunication Commission

• CITEL PCC.II – CITEL Permanent Consultative Committee II

• CNO – Canadian National Organization

• CPC – Canadian Preparatory Committee

• CPM - Conference Preparatory Meeting

• CRC – Communications Research Centre (Canada)

• CSA – Canadian Space Agency• EC – Environment Canada• IC – Industry Canada• ISO – International Organization for

Standardization• ITU-R – International Communication

Union-Radiocommunication

• NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• NMHS – National Meteorological and Hydrological Service

• RABC – Radio Advisory Board of Canada

• RF – Radio-Frequency• RLAN – Radio Local Area Network • RSS – Radio Standards Specification • SRSP – Standard Radio System Plan • IAWC – Intra-Aircraft Wireless

Systems Communications (IAWC)• WMO – World Meteorological

Organization• WMO SG-RFC – WMO Steering

Group – Radio-Frequency Coordination

• WRC-12 – World Radiocommunication Conference 2012

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