The Radio Frequency Spectrum

An ever-increasing demand for the radio frequency (RF) spectrum is transforming current radio regulations at national and international levels at a fast pace. This book will introduce you to the science and policies behind the spectrum management and to the process that aims at maintaining the fair sharing of the spectrum among a huge gamma of applications for the benefit of society.

This book presents the fundamentals of wireless communications and services, explaining in detail what RF spectrum management is, why it is important, which are the authorities regulating the use of spectrum, and how is it managed and enforced at the international, regional and national levels. The book offers insights to the engineering, regulatory, economic, legal, management policy-making aspects involved. Real-world case studies are presented to depict the various approaches in different countries, and valuable lessons are drawn. The topics are addressed by engineers, advocates and economists employed by national and international spectrum regulators. The book is a tool that will allow the international regional and national regulators to better manage the RF spectrum, and will help operators and suppliers of wireless communications to better understand their regulators.

The electromagnetic spectrum is a vital part of our environment. Measures of radio frequency emissions from natural phenomena enable both practical applications, such as weather predictions and studies of the changing of Earth's climate here at home, and reveal the physical properties of cosmic sources. The spectrum is therefore a resource to be used wisely now and to be protected for future generations. Handbook of Frequency Allocations and Spectrum Protection for Scientific Uses: Second Edition sets forth the principles for the allocation and protection of spectral bands for services using the radio spectrum for scientific research. This report describes the radio frequency bands used by scientific services and includes relevant regulatory information and discussion of scientific use of frequency bands. This reference will guide spectrum managers and spectrum regulatory bodies on science issues and serve as a resource to scientists and other spectrum users.

Radio observations of the cosmos are gathered by geoscientists using complex earth-orbiting satellites and ground-based equipment, and by radio astronomers using large ground-based radio telescopes. Signals from natural radio emissions are extremely weak, and the equipment used to measure them is becoming ever-more sophisticated and sensitive. The radio spectrum is also being used by radiating, or "active," services, ranging from aircraft radars to rapidly expanding consumer services such as cellular telephones and wireless internet. These valuable active services transmit radio waves and thereby potentially interfere with the receive-only, or "passive," scientific services. Transmitters for the active services create an artificial "electronic fog" which can cause confusion, and, in severe cases, totally blinds the passive receivers. Both the active and the passive services are increasing their use of the spectrum, and so the potential for interference, already strong, is also increasing. This book addresses the tension between the active services' demand for greater spectrum use and the passive users' need for quiet spectrum. The included recommendations provide a pathway for putting in place the regulatory mechanisms and associated supporting research activities necessary to meet the demands of both users.

Radio frequencies have become a basic resource for the development of the information society. In fact, radio waves are a mandatory vehicle in order to carry the message to customers and a truly worldwide communication needs their properties. Given the market demands for more and more frequencies, means have to be found to share this limited resource most effectively and to continuously improve its efficiency. Radio spectrum management is thus a major objective for our modern world. This book describes the current tools for spectrum management with their fundamental technical and legal basis. It outlines the global evolution of radio services in their different application domains and introduces the actors who contribute to the collective management of the spectrum. It also discusses the main questions these actors have to deal with and answer in order to design for the future.

Active remote sensing is the principal tool used to study and to predict short- and long-term changes in the environment of Earth - the atmosphere, the oceans and the land surfaces - as well as the near space environment of Earth. All of these measurements are essential to understanding terrestrial weather, climate change, space weather hazards, and threats from asteroids. Active remote sensing measurements are of inestimable benefit to society, as we pursue the development of a technological civilization that is economically viable, and seek to maintain the quality of our life. A Strategy for Active Remote Sensing Amid Increased Demand for Spectrum describes the threats, both current and future, to the effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum required for active remote sensing. This report offers specific recommendations for protecting and making effective use of the spectrum required for active remote sensing.