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TC RRS Activity Report 2011
Chairman: Markus Mueck, Intel Mobile Communications
Responsible for the standardisation of Reconfigurable Radio Systems
(RRS), including Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Cognitive Radio
The exponential growth in the use of the Internet and mobile
communications is placing network resources under stress. This is driving the
quest for greater efficiency in spectrum usage through developing technologies.
Reconfigurable Radio Systems (RRS) are intelligent radio devices which can sense
– and act upon – their environment. For example, they can adjust for location,
time, frequency and other users, and they can scan for unused frequency. They
thus open up the opportunity for the sharing of unused spectrum amongst multiple
services and radio networks, maximising the use of scarce and expensive
frequencies. SDR and Cognitive Radio are therefore expected to become important
drivers for the future evolution of wireless communications and to offer
substantial benefits, particularly in the better utilisation of the radio
frequency spectrum.
ETSI’s Reconfigurable Radio Systems Technical Committee supports the move by the
European Commission (EC) to revise the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal
Equipment (R&TTE) Directive which, for the first time in Europe, is expected to
allow the use of Radio Reconfigurable Systems that affect device certification.
The Committee has made numerous inputs to the discussions and supported the EC’s
Workshop on Software Defined Radio and Cognitive Radio standardisation held in
Ispra, Italy, in November 2011. TC RRS is now actively developing new standards
to enable the enforcement of the Directive in the future. This includes, for
example, enabling the dynamic declaration of conformity, which is a key factor
in the introduction of new features, especially radio applications; as a first
step, the Committee began major new work in May 2011 which will lead to a
Technical Report (TR) describing various use cases.
In preparation for the drafting of standards, the Committee has been defining
use cases and scenarios in a number of areas. In 2011, work was completed in
several of these; TRs were published on use cases for baseband interfaces for
unified radio applications of mobile devices, operator requirements in IMT and
GSM™ bands, an SDR approach to RRS handsets, and operation in UHF TV White Space
frequency bands. Activities related to UHF TV White Spaces (the areas of
spectrum between allocated frequency bands that are unused by the spectrum owner
over a given time in a given location) continue to dominate the Committee’s work.
Having defined use cases in a number of areas, TC RRS is now moving into a
normative phase of work. Building on its TRs, work began on three new Technical
Specifications (TSs) to establish the standards needed respectively for radio
reconfiguration for mobile devices, for the system requirements for RRS
operating in IMT and GSM bands for intra-operator scenarios, and for the system
requirements for operation in UHF TV White Spaces. A TS on public safety, which
will involve security aspects, is likely to be developed later.
A TR was also published on the costs involved in using RRS in public safety, and
work began on a new TR to define use cases for spectrum sharing and network
sharing solutions for public safety communications.
A TR is also being developed on use cases for the building and exploitation of
Radio Environment Maps (REM) for intra-operator scenarios. This will give
operators a better picture of available radio systems in specific areas and
enable them to adapt their resources to that knowledge.
Work continues on a TR on the RF performance of Cognitive Radio Systems
operating in UHF TV band White Spaces. In addition, TC RRS has had lengthy
discussions with cable television operators concerned about interference to
broadcasting and communication services delivered by existing RF cable networks
caused by Cognitive Radio Systems operating in the UHF TV White Spaces of the
television band 470-790 MHz. As a result, in 2011 TC RRS began a new feasibility
study into the subject, examining co existence issues.
Development of a TS to define the system architecture for spectrum sharing and
co-existence between multiple (potentially different) Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs)
is ongoing. Good progress was made on a feasibility study into control channels
for CRNs, and publication is scheduled for April 2012.
A prestudy on the services for standardised multiradio access interface provided
by the SDR radio computing platform for mobile devices was published in April.
A glossary of terms is also being prepared.
TC RRS maintains close contact with various EC research projects, including
FARAMIR (Flexible and spectrum-Aware Radio Access through Measurements and
modelling In cognitive Radio systems), ONEFIT (Opportunistic Networks and
Cognitive Management Systems for Efficient Application Provision in the Future
Internet) and the CONSERN (Co operative and Self-Growing Energy Aware Networks)
Consortium. The Committee is liaising with these projects on an ongoing basis,
which is helping to ensure that research is aligned with standardisation
requirements. For example, ONEFIT has influenced TC RRS’s work on cognitive
control channels and FARAMIR has influenced contributions related to REM
solutions.
TC RRS also works closely with other committees within ETSI, including the
Access, Terminals, Transmission and Multiplexing Technical Committee (TC ATTM)
on cable activities and the Electromagnetic Compatibility and Radio Spectrum
Matters (TC ERM) Technical Committee. Together with TC ERM, TC RRS liaises
externally with organisations such as the European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), specifically its Electronic
Communications Committee (ECC) and its Working Groups on Frequency Management
(WG FM) and Spectrum Engineering (WG SE) and Project Team SE 43. TC RRS also
follows the work of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP™) closely,
particularly its Radio Access Network Technical Specification Group (TSG RAN),
on the development of Multi-Standard Radio (MSR).
Finally, on the international stage, a presentation was given at the Global
Standards Collaboration meeting, GSC-16, in Halifax, Canada, in October/November.
Meanwhile collaboration continues in the area of communication between
components in a Reconfigurable Radio handset with colleagues in Korea.
see also:
RRS WG1 ToR |
RRS WG2 ToR
|RRS WG3 ToR |
RRS WG4 ToR |
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