Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

State-of-the-Art in Policy and Regulation of Radio Spectrum

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Cognitive Radio Policy and Regulation

Part of the book series: Signals and Communication Technology ((SCT))

Abstract

This chapter sets the stage for the rest of book by presenting the current state of affairs in the management of radio spectrum and related standardisation and regulatory initiatives pertaining to the emerging fields of CR and DSA. Section 1.1 discusses the international structure of spectrum management from the global ITU level down to the regional and national level. It also outlines how the ITU has started approaching the consideration of DSA challenges. The next Sect. 1.2 looks at how these efforts have been matched by the European regulators. Next, two Sects. 1.3 and 1.4 examine the complex issue of standardisation of CR/DSA technologies, starting from the general overview of work in global and regional standardisation bodies, followed by the analysis of drivers and obstacles. Standardisation is particularly covered because it has intrinsic interactions with regulation. For example, a well-targeted standardisation initiative involving strong industry players and perhaps an industry association can provide significant motivation for regulators to adapt regulations to support that initiative, in support of economic/industrial and national interests. The chapter is concluded by Sect. 1.5 that takes a closer look at the developments in two countries that have been particular champions of CR technologies: namely the United States and the United Kingdom. This is done with a viewpoint on the status of TV White Space access implementation—currently a key driver of DSA.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    Coase generalized this idea in his Noble prize winning essay "The Problem of Social Cost" [15].

  2. 2.

    See note 6 of Baumol and Robyn for an overview of references [17].

  3. 3.

    New Zealand was probably the first country that experimented with the definition of long-term, tradable property rights to radio channels, and the first country to auction these rights to the highest bidder [19].

  4. 4.

    The author would like to acknowledge assistance of Dr. Alexandre Kholod, the chairman of CEPT PTSE43, in compiling the material for this section.

  5. 5.

    Draft ETSI EN 301 598 V1.0.0 (2013-07), “White space devices (WSD); Wireless access systems operating in the 470 MHz to 790 MHz frequency band; Harmonized EN covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive”.

References

  1. Radio Regulations: Articles, vol 1. Geneva: International Telecomunication Union (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Radio spectrum management for a converging world. In: Workshop on Radio Spectrum Management for a Converging World. ITU, Geneva, 16–18 Feb (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity. Off. J. L 091, 0010–0028 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (Framework Directive). Off. J. L 108, 0033–0050 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Directive 2002/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services (Authorisation Directive). Off. J. L 108, 0021–0032 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Decision No 676/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a regulatory framework for radio spectrum policy in the European Community (Radio Spectrum Decision)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Directive 2009/140/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 amending Directives 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services, 2002/19/EC on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities, and 2002/20/EC on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services. Off. J. L 337, 0037–0069 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Anker, P.: Does cognitive radio need policy innovation? Competition Regul. Netw. Ind. 11(1), 2–26 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Nekovee, M.: Dynamic spectrum access—concepts and future architectures. BT Technol. J. 24(2), 111–116 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. From Semaphore to Satellite. International Telecommunications Union, Geneva (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kirby, R.C.: History and trends in international radio regulations. In: IEE International Conference on 100 Years of Radio (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Robinson, J.O.: Spectrum Management Policy in the United States: An Historical Account, OSP working paper 15 (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Codding, G.A.: The International Telecommunication Union. An Experiment in International Cooperation. Brill, Leiden (1952)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Coase, R.: The federal communications commission. J. Law Econ. 2, 1–40 (1959) (October)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Coase, R.: The problem of social cost. J. Law Econ. 3(1), 1–44 (1960)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hazlett, T.: The Wireless Craze, The Unlimited Bandwidth Myth, The Spectrum Auction Faux Pas, and the Punchline to Ronald Coase’s ‘Big Joke’: An Essay on Airwave Allocation Policy, AEI-Brookings Joint Center Working Paper No. 01-2. SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=286932 (2001)

  17. Baumol, W.J., Robyn, D.: Toward an Evolutionary Regime for Spectrum Governance—Licensing or Unrestricted Policy. AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, washington (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Cave, M., Doyle, L., et al.: Essentials of Modern Spectrum Management. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2007)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  19. Mueller, M.: New Zealand’s revolution in spectrum management. Inf. Econ. Policy 5(2), 159–177 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lemstra, W., Anker, P., et al.: Cognitive Radio: enabling technology in need of coordination. Competition Regul. Netw. Ind. 12(3), 210–235 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Faulhaber, G.R., Farber, D.J.: Spectrum management: property rights, markets and the commons. In: Craven, F., Wildeman, S. (eds.) Rethinking Rights and Regulations: Institutional Response to New Communications Technologies. MIT Press, Cambridge (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Faulhaber, G.R.: The Question of Spectrum: Technology, Management, and Regime Change, pp. 05–15. AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, Washington (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Olafsson, S., Glover, B., et al.: Future management of spectrum. BT Technol. J. 25(2), 52–63 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Anker, P.: Cognitive radio, the market and the regulator. In: 2010 IEEE Symposium on New Frontiers in Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks, IEEE (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Report ITU-R SM.2152 Definitions of Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Cognitive Radio System (CRS). ITU, Geneva (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  26. CEPT Report 24. A preliminary assessment of the feasibility of fitting new/future applications/services into non-harmonised spectrum of the digital dividend (namely the so-called “white spaces” between allotments). http://www.erodocdb.dk/ (2008)

  27. ECC Report 159. Technical and operational requirements for the possible operation of cognitive radio systems in the ‘white spaces’ of the frequency band 470–790 MHz. http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCREP159.PDF (2011)

  28. ECC Report 185. Complementary Report to ECC Report 159: Further definition of technical and operational requirements for the operation of white space devices in the band 470–790 MHz. http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCREP185.PDF (2013)

  29. ECC Report 186. Technical and operational requirements for the operation of white space devices under geo-location approach. http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCREP186.PDF (2013)

  30. Decision No 243/2012/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2012 establishing a multiannual radio spectrum policy programme. http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/rspp-roadmap-wireless-europe

  31. COM(2012)478. Communication from The Commission To The European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic And Social Committee And The Committee Of The Regions on Promoting the shared use of radio spectrum resources in the internal market. https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/sites/digital-agenda/files/com-ssa.pdf (2012)

  32. IEEE 802.22 Working Group on Wireless Regional Area Networks. http://www.ieee802.org/22/

  33. IEEE 802.11 TASK GROUP AF, Status of project P802.11af. http://www.ieee802.org/11/Reports/tgaf_update.htm

  34. IEEE 802.19 Wireless Coexistence Working Group (WG). http://www.ieee802.org/19/

  35. IEEE DySPAN Standards Committee (DySPAN-SC). http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/dyspan/

  36. Standardisation Mandate to CEN, Cenelec and ETSI for Reconfigurable Radio Systems. http://www.etsi.org/images/files/ECMandates/m512.pdf

  37. Radio Spectrum Policy Group 2011. Report on CUS and other spectrum sharing approaches: Collective Use of Spectrum. http://rspg-spectrum.eu/_documents/documents/meeting/rspg26/rspg11_392_report_CUS_other_approaches_final.pdf (2011)

  38. Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); Mobile broadband services in the 2300 MHz–2400 MHz frequency band under Licensed Shared Access regime—System Reference Document, ETSI (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  39. ETSI EN 301 598: White Space Devices (WSD); Wireless Access Systems operating in the 470 MHz to 790 MHz frequency band; Harmonized EN covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  40. ETSI TS 102 946: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); System requirements for Operation in UHF TV Band White Spaces, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  41. ETSI TS 103 143: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); System Architecture for WSD GLDBs, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  42. ETSI EN 303 144: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); Cognitive Radio Systems and geo-location databases, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  43. ETSI TS 103 145: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); System Architecture for TVWS use, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  44. Review of the Directive 1999/5/EC, Commission proposal for the revision of the R&TTE Directive. http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/rtte/documents/legislation/review/

  45. ETSI EN 102 969: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); Radio Reconfiguration related Requirements for Mobile Devices, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  46. ETSI EN 103 095: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); Radio Reconfiguration related Architecture for Mobile Devices, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  47. ETSI EN 103 146-1: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); Mobile Device Information Models and Protocols: MURI, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  48. ETSI TR 102 967: Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS); Dynamic Declaration of Conformity, to appear

    Google Scholar 

  49. ECMA-392, MAC and PHY for Operation in TV White Space, Dec 2009

    Google Scholar 

  50. IETF PAWS status page. http://tools.ietf.org/wg/paws/

  51. Brykman, L.: Better standards to enhance European competitiveness. In: Proceedings of the 7th Biennial Standardisation and Innovation in Information Technology conference (SIIT 2011), pp. 193–194, Berlin (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  52. DTI, The Empirical Economics of Standards. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), London (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  53. Blind, K.: The Economics of Standards. Theory, Evidence, Policy. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  54. Delaere, S., Ballon, P.: Multi-level standardisation and business models for cognitive radio: the case of the cognitive pilot channel. In: The 3rd IEEE Symposium on New Frontiers in Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks (DySPAN’08), Chicago, IL, (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  55. Lyytinen, K.J., Keil, T., Fomin, V.V.: A framework to build process theories of anticipatory information and communication technology (ICT) standardizing. Int. J. IT Stand. Stand. Res. (JITSR) 6, 1–38 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Isaak, J.: The role of individuals and social capital in POSIX standardisation. Int. J. IT Stand. Stand. Res. 4, 1–23 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Bousquet, F., Fomin, V.V., Drillon, D.: Standardisation: a major tool for competitive intelligence. In: 14th EURAS Annual Standardisation Conference Standardisation and Corporate Intelligence, pp. 27–36. Cergy, France (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  58. Jakobs, K.: Information Technology Standards, Standards Setting and Standards Research: Mapping the Universe (2003). http://www-i4.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/~jakobs/Papers/stanhope.pdf

  59. Schneberger, S.L., McLean, E.R.: The complexity cross—implications for practice. Commun. ACM 46, 216–225 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. European Commission, Final report of the study on the specific policy needs for ICT standardisation, European Commission (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  61. Jakobs, K., Blind, K.: ICT standardisation policy in Europe—recent past, presence, and future(?). In: Proceedings of the 7th Biennial Standardisation and Innovation in Information Technology conference (SIIT 2011), pp. 101–114. Berlin (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  62. Baldini, G., Holland, O., Stavroulaki, V., Tsagkaris, K., Demestichas, P., Polydoros, A., Karanasios, S., Allen, D.: The evolution of cognitive radio technology in Europe: regulatory and standardisation aspects. Telecommun. Policy 37(2–3), 96–107 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Mueck, M., Bekkers, R.: Interveiw with Markus Dominik Mueck, INTEL Mobile Communications Group and ETSI TC RRS Chairman, and Rudi Bekkers, TU Eindhoven, on important trends in Cognitive Radio Standardisation, 25 Sept (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  64. Kloch, C., Bilstrup, B., Vesterholt, C.K., Pedersen, T.P.: Roadmap for Software Defined Radio—A Technology, Market and Regulation Perspective. Danish Technological Institute (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  65. Manninen, A.: Elaboration of NMT and GSM Standards—From Idea to Market. University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  66. Bekkers, R.: The Development of European Mobile Telecommunications Standards. An assessment of the success of GSM, TETRA, ERMES and UMTS. Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  67. West, J., Fomin, V.V.: When government inherently matters: national innovation systems in the mobile telephony industry, 1946–2000. In: Academy of Management Conference, Washington, DC (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  68. Stewart, J., Shen, X., Wang, C., Graham, I.: From 3G to 4G: standards and the development of mobile broadband in China. Technol. Anal. Strateg Manag. 23, 773–788 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Fomin, V.V.: The Process of Standard Making. The Case of Cellular Mobile Telephony. Jyväskylä University, Jyväskylä (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  70. Schmidt, S.K., Werle, R.: Coordinating Technology. Studies in the International Standardisation of Tellecommunications. The MIT Press, Cambridge (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  71. Fomin, V.V., Medeišis, A., Vitkutė-Adžgauskienė, D.: Pre-Standardisation of Cognitive Radio Systems. Int. J. IT Stand. Stand. Res. (JITSR) 10, 1–16 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  72. Fomin, V.V., Medeišis, A., Vitkutė-Adžgauskienė, D.: The Role of Policy in the Development of Cognitive Radio Systems: Co-Evolutionary Perspective. In: The 7th International Conference on Standardisation and Innovation in Information Technology (SIIT 2011), pp. 79–90. Berlin (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  73. Fomin, V.V., Zoo, H.J., Lee, H.: Cognitive Radio technology development at early stage: content analysis of COST Action documentation. Int. J. IT Stand. Stand. Res, forthcoming

    Google Scholar 

  74. Mueck, M., Piipponen, A., Dimitrakopolous, G., Tsagkaris, K., Casadevall, F., Demestichas, P., Pérez-Romero, J., Sallent, O., Baldini, G., Filin, S., Harada, H., Debbah, M., Haustein, T., Gebert, J., Deschamps, B., Bender, P., Street, M., Kalliojärvi, K., Kandeepan, S., Lota, J., Hayar, A.: ETSI reconfigurable radio systems—status and future directions on software defined radio and cognitive radio standards. IEEE Commun. Mag. 48, pp. 78–86 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  75. Sukarevičienė, G., Fomin, V.V., Modeling Dynamic Spectrum Access Infrastructure Development As a Techno-Economic System. Research in progress. In: EURAS 2013, Brussels (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  76. Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands, Additional Spectrum for Devices Below 900 MHz and in the 3 GHz Band, Dockets No. 04-186, 02-380, FCC Second Report and Order and Memorandum Opinion and Order (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  77. Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auc-tions, Docket No. 12-268, FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, para. 9 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  78. Damelin, J., Daniel, W.A., Fine, H., Waldo, G.V.: Development of VHF and UHF Propagation Curves for TV and FM Broadcasting. Technical no. R-6602. FCC, Washington (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  79. Longley, A.G., Rice, P.L.: Prediction of tropospheric radio transmission loss over irregular terrain. A computer method-1968, Technical Report ERL 79-ITS 67, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, July 1968

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Arturas Medeisis

  2. Centre for Telecommunications Research, King’s College London, London, UK

    Oliver Holland

Authors
  1. Arturas Medeisis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Oliver Holland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arturas Medeisis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Arturas Medeisis

  2. Centre for Telecommunications Research, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

    Oliver Holland

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Medeisis, A., Holland, O. (2014). State-of-the-Art in Policy and Regulation of Radio Spectrum. In: Medeisis, A., Holland, O. (eds) Cognitive Radio Policy and Regulation. Signals and Communication Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04022-6_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04022-6_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-04021-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-04022-6

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation