Part 1—Preliminary

1 Name

These are the Radiocommunications Advisory Guidelines (Managing Interference to Spectrum Licensed Receivers – 2.3 GHz Band) 2024.

This instrument commences on 31 March 2024.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 262 of the Act.

4 Repeal of the Radiocommunications Advisory Guidelines (Managing Interference to Spectrum Licensed Receivers – 2.3 GHz Band) 2013

The Radiocommunications Advisory Guidelines (Managing Interference to Spectrum Licensed Receivers – 2.3 GHz Band) 2013 [F2013L02150] are repealed.

5 Definitions

(1) In this instrument:

2.3 GHz band means the frequency band 2300 MHz to 2400 MHz.

2.3 GHz receiver means a radiocommunications receiver operated under a 2.3 GHz spectrum licence.

2.3 GHz spectrum licence means a spectrum licence that authorises the operation of radiocommunications devices in the 2.3 GHz band.

adjacent channel, in relation to another channel (the occupied channel), means a channel with a centre frequency offset on either side of the assigned channel frequency of the occupied channel by a specific frequency relation.

adjacent channel selectivity: see item 2 of Schedule 1.

compatibility requirement: see Part 5 and Schedule 2.

device boundary criterion has the meaning given by:

(a) the section 145 determination; or

(b) if another instrument replaces that determination – the other instrument.

intermodulation response rejection: see item 3 of Schedule 1.

notional receiver performance level: see subsection 12(2) and item 1 of Schedule 1.

receiver blocking, in relation to a radiocommunications receiver, means the measure of the ability of the receiver to receive a wanted signal in the presence of a high level unwanted interferer on frequencies other than those of an adjacent channel, see item 4 of Schedule 1.

section 145 determination means the Radiocommunications (Unacceptable Levels of Interference – 2.3 GHz Band) Determination 2024.

Note 1: The section 145 determination is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.

Note 2: A number of other expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:

(a) ACMA;

(b) apparatus licence;

(d) core condition;

(e) frequency band;

(f) interference;

(g) radiocommunications device;

(h) radiocommunications receiver;

(i) radiocommunications transmitter;

(j) Register;

(k) spectrum licence;

(l) transmitter licence.

Note 3: A number of other expressions used in this instrument may be defined in the Radiocommunications (Interpretation – Technical Framework) Determination 2024 or in another instrument made under subsection 64(1) of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 to replace it, including:

(a) Act;

(b) centre frequency;

(d) fixed receiver;

(e) fixed transmitter;

(f) geographic area;

(g) in-band;

(h) mobile device;

(i) out-of-band;

(j) unwanted signal;

(k) wanted signal.

(2) In this instrument, unless otherwise specified, a reference to a part of the spectrum or a frequency band includes all frequencies that are greater than but not including the lower frequency, up to and including the higher frequency.

Note: This subsection means the lower number in a part of the spectrum or a frequency band is not included in the part of the spectrum or the frequency band.

6 References to other instruments

In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:

(a) a reference to any other legislative instrument is a reference to that other legislative instrument as in force from time to time; and

(b) a reference to any other kind of instrument or writing is a reference to that other instrument or writing as in force or existing from time to time.

Note 1: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments.

Note 2: All Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Note 3: See section 314A of the Act.

Part 2—Overview

7 Background

(1) A spectrum licence authorises the operation of radiocommunications devices within a part of the spectrum and in a geographic area. Interference occurring between adjacent spectrum licences consists of in-band interference across the geographic boundaries, and out-of-band interference across the frequency boundaries.

(2) This interference is managed by creating emission buffer zones along the geographic and frequency boundaries of a spectrum licence, using a number of powers under the Act. Emission buffer zones may be created by, or as a result of, the following:

(a) specifying out-of-area and out-of-band emission limits in the core conditions of the licence, which must be included in all spectrum licences (see section 66 of the Act);

(b) a determination under section 145 of the Act, relating to unacceptable levels of interference and the registration of radiocommunications devices, and related licence conditions (see section 69 of the Act);

(3) This instrument:

(a) provides protection to 2.3 GHz receivers from interference caused by:

(i) radiocommunications transmitters operated under a class licence; or

(ii) fixed transmitters operated under a transmitter licence first operated on or after 25 July 2015; or

(iii) fixed transmitters operated under a 2.3 GHz spectrum licence; and

(b) assists in the management of in-band and out-of-band interference by providing compatibility requirements for registered fixed receivers operated under 2.3 GHz spectrum licences; and

(c) sets out minimum receiver performance requirements that the ACMA will assume are met by a radiocommunications receiver, when considering whether to provide protection to the receiver in accordance with this instrument, so that the onus of managing interference is not solely placed upon the operators of radiocommunications transmitters.

(4) This instrument is intended to provide guidance on the management and settlement of interference to 2.3 GHz receivers, caused by radiocommunications transmitters operated under a class licence or an apparatus licence or another spectrum licence issued under the Act.

(5) This instrument should be used by spectrum licensees, apparatus licensees, and authorised third parties in the planning of services and in the resolution of interference.

(6) This instrument does not prevent a person negotiating and implementing other protection requirements with other persons.

Part 3—Managing interference from other services

8 In-band interference

(1) In-band interference to a 2.3 GHz receiver, caused by a radiocommunications transmitter operated under an adjacent spectrum licence, is managed by the core conditions imposed on spectrum licences under section 66 of the Act and the device boundary criterion.

(2) In-band interference to a 2.3 GHz receiver, caused by a radiocommunications transmitter operated under a transmitter licence first issued after 25 July 2015, is managed as if the transmitter were operated under a spectrum licence. The device boundary criterion should be applied to such radiocommunications transmitters, affording 2.3 GHz receivers the same level of in-band protection from apparatus licensed radiocommunications transmitters as they are afforded from radiocommunications transmitters operated under adjacent spectrum licences.

(3) Application of the device boundary criterion manages in-band interference. The device boundary criterion incorporates emission limits that provide reasonable protection within the geographic area of a spectrum licence.

(4) The interference management frameworks, if any are required, for radiocommunications devices operated under a class licence are contained in the relevant class licence.

9 Out-of-band interference

(1) Out-of-band interference is difficult to predict, because the levels and frequencies of unwanted emissions depend on both the nearness and the operating frequencies of radiocommunications transmitters and radiocommunications receivers that are spectrally or geographically close. In addition, out-of-band interference:

(a) can extend for many MHz either side of the frequency boundary of a spectrum licence; and

(b) is dependent on the quality of the radiocommunications receiver as well as the levels of the radiocommunications transmitter’s emissions; and

(2) Emission limits are also used to manage out-of-band interference, but these do not provide protection along the frequency boundaries of a spectrum licence throughout the entire geographic area. Because of the nature of out-of-band interference, emission limits cannot be used to provide protection from out-of-band interference for radiocommunications devices that are located near each other.

Example: Radiocommunications devices that are located near each other include devices located at multi-operator sites.

(3) Emission limits are not the sole mechanism used to manage out-of-band interference for devices in close proximity, because the interference modelling inaccuracy would require large probability margins to be added to those limits. Large probability margins would place severe constraints on the use of the spectrum because the upper and lower frequency limits of a spectrum licence extend throughout the geographic area. Emission limits to manage out-of-band interference throughout the geographic area cannot be used, because they would lead to a severe loss of utility of the spectrum on both sides of the frequency limits.

(4) To avoid large probability margins, out-of-band interference is managed through interference management procedures based on a compatibility requirement for radiocommunications receivers. A minimum level of receiver performance is specified in Part 4 in conjunction with the compatibility requirement because the performance level of receivers:

(a) affects the level of interference; and

(b) can vary for receivers operating under spectrum licences.

Note: The minimum level of receiver performance is specified in Part 4. The compatibility requirement is set out in Part 5.

10 Recording radiocommunications receiver details in the Register

(1) In this instrument, for a 2.3 GHz receiver to be afforded protection from interference caused by an apparatus licensed radiocommunications transmitter, the details of the receiver must have been included in the Register before the relevant apparatus licence was first issued under section 100 of the Act.

(2) In this instrument, for a 2.3 GHz receiver to be afforded protection from interference caused by a spectrum licensed radiocommunications transmitter, the details of the receiver must have been included in the Register before the details of the relevant transmitter were included in the Register.

Note: See also Part 5.

11 Mobile devices

The compatibility requirement specified in Part 5 does not apply to radiocommunications receivers operated under a 2.3 GHz spectrum licence that are mobile devices, because the itinerant nature of these devices prevents the use of this requirement as an interference management procedure.

Part 5—Compatibility requirement

13 Compatibility

(1) In relation to a fixed receiver specified in subsection (2), the licensee of a fixed transmitter operated under an apparatus licence or a spectrum licence must ensure that the transmitter meets the compatibility requirement in Schedule 2.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), a fixed receiver is specified if the receiver:

(a) is operated under a spectrum licence; and

(b) has at least the notional receiver performance level; and

(i) if the fixed transmitter mentioned in subsection (1) is operated under a spectrum licence – the fixed transmitter was included in the Register; or

(ii) if the fixed transmitter mentioned in subsection (1) is operated under an apparatus licence – the apparatus licence was issued.

(3) A radiocommunications transmitter operated under a class licence must comply with the conditions of the class licence.

Schedule 1 Notional receiver performance level

(subsections 5(1) and 12(2))

1 Notional receiver performance level

(1) The notional level of performance for a 2.3 GHz band receiver in relation to an unwanted signal from a radiocommunications transmitter operated under an apparatus licence, relates to:

(a) adjacent channel selectivity; and

(b) receiver intermodulation response rejection; and

(2) This level of performance is taken to be a notional receiver performance level with reference to a radiocommunications receiver sensitivity level of:

(a) -96 dBm measured within a 5 MHz rectangular bandwidth that is within the frequency band of the spectrum licence, for a receiver with a bandwidth of less than 20 MHz; and

(b) -89 dBm measured within a 20 MHz rectangular bandwidth that is within the frequency band of the spectrum licence, for a receiver with a bandwidth equal to or greater than 20 MHz.

(3) For the purposes of verifying these performance parameters of the notional radiocommunications receiver, the comparison of the sensitivity level and the unwanted signal is defined at the antenna connector port of the receiver unit. In this way, the performance of the entire receiving system, including the receiver unit and external filters, is taken into account.

(4) All frequency offsets are specified with reference to the upper and lower limits of the frequency bands of the spectrum licence under which the receiver operates.

2 Adjacent channel selectivity

(1) In this instrument, adjacent channel selectivity means the measure of the ability of a radiocommunications receiver to receive a wanted signal without exceeding a specified degradation in output due to the presence of an unwanted signal from an adjacent channel.

(2) An adjacent channel selectivity of greater than or equal to the following relative figures for respective channel bandwidths is required:

Receiver Occupied Bandwidth	Frequency offsets from the upper and lower frequency limit of the spectrum licence receiver	Minimum relative adjacent channel selectivity (dB)
 20 MHz	≤ 5 MHz	44 dB
≥ 20 MHz	≤ 20 MHz	37 dB

Source: 3GPP TS 38.104 V17.5.0 (2022-04) Tables 7.2.2-1, 7.4.1.2-1 & 7.4.1.2-2.

Note: The values in the table above are the ratio between the received unwanted signal power in the adjacent (interferer’s) channel and the receiver’s sensitivity level.

3 Intermodulation response rejection

(1) In this instrument, intermodulation response rejection means the measure of the ability of a radiocommunications receiver to receive a wanted signal in the presence of two or more unwanted signals with a specific amplitude and frequency relationship to the wanted signal frequency.

(2) An intermodulation response rejection greater than or equal to the following values for each out-of-band signal is required:

Receiver Occupied Bandwidth	Frequency offsets from the upper and lower frequency limit of the spectrum licence receiver	Intermodulation performance requirement (dB)
 20 MHz	≥ 5 MHz	44 dB
≥ 20 MHz	≥ 5 MHz	37 dB

Source: 3GPP TS 38.104 V17.5.0 (2022-04) Tables 7.2.2.-1 & 7.7.2-2.

Note: The values in the table above are the ratio between the received unwanted signal power at the defined frequency offset and the receiver’s sensitivity level.

4 Receiver blocking

(1) For radiocommunications receivers operating in the 2.3 GHz band, at frequencies in the 2280 MHz to 2420 MHz frequency range, a receiver blocking level greater than or equal to the following figures above the sensitivity level for interfering signals in the frequency ranges set out below is required:

Receiver Occupied Bandwidth	Frequency offsets from the upper and lower frequency limit of the spectrum licence receiver	Minimum blocking requirement (dB)
 20 MHz	> 5 MHz	53 dB
≥ 20 MHz	> 20 MHz	46 dB

Source: 3GPP TS 38.104 V17.5.0 (2022-04) Tables 7.2.2-2 & 7.4.2.2-1.

Note: The values in the table above are the ratio between the received unwanted signal power at the defined frequency offset and the receiver’s sensitivity level.

(2) At frequencies in the frequency range 1 MHz to 12750 MHz, excluding frequencies ranges to which subclause 4(1) applies, the receiver blocking requirement is a total mean power of -15 dBm.

5 Receiver antenna and feeder losses

The antenna gain and feeder loss recorded for a radiocommunications receiver in the Register should be used for coordination.

Schedule 1 Notional receiver performance level

Schedule 2 Compatibility requirement