6Spectrum Management _ Planning

• Access Backhaul


  Communication between mobile phones and base stations
• Backhaul Frequencies


  Communication between base stations and switching centers/gateways of mobile network
• Types of spectrum used by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)

  • Access Frequency Bands
  • Backhaul Frequency Bands
• Access Frequency Bands


  • 600 MHz
  • 700 MHz
  • 800 MHz
  • 900 MHz
  • 1800 MHz
  • 2100 MHz
  • 2300 MHz
  • 2500 MHz
• Backhaul Frequency Bands


  • Microwave
  • Backbone Bands (6 GHz, 7 GHz)
  • Microwave Access Bands (13 GHz, 15 GHz, 18 GHz, 21 GHz)
  • E band (71-76/81-86 GHz)
• Frequency bands opened for IMT Services

  • 600 MHz (663-703 [612-652] MHz, 40 MHz)
  • 700 MHz (713-748 [773-803] MHz, 30 MHz)
  • 800 MHz (824-844 [869-889] MHz, 20 MHz)
  • 900 MHz (890-915 [935-960] MHz, 25 MHz)
  • 1800 MHz (1710-1765 [1805-1860] MHz, 55 MHz)
  • 2100 MHz (1939-1979 [2129-2169] MHz, 40 MHz)
  • 2300 MHz (2300-2380 MHz, 80 MHz)
  • 2500 MHz (2535-2555 & 2635-2655 MHz, 40 MHz)
  • 3300 MHz (3300-3670 MHz, 370 MHz)
  • 26 GHz (24250-27500 MHz, 3250 MHz)
• Access Bands


  • Low Bands (600, 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500 MHz)
  • Mid Band (3300-3670 MHz)
  • Millimeter Wave Band (24.25-27.5 GHz)
• Spectrum Cap


  A 40% cap on the combined spectrum holding in certain frequency bands
• Carrier Aggregation (CA)


  A technique where a terminal receives or transmits on multiple component carriers (frequency blocks assigned to the same user) to improve data rate, mitigate interference, and enhance network deployment
• License Assisted Access (LAA)


  CA can be used to aggregate downlink carriers in unlicensed frequency bands, primarily in the 5 GHz range, with carriers in licensed frequency bands
• Old Procedure for Typical Network Licence requiring frequency assignments

  1. Application for frequency assignment

  2. SACFA Clearance

  3. Clearance required from IB, MEA or coordination with DoS/Defence

  4. Scrutiny and approval by WPC

  5. LOI issued intimating the Spectrum Fees

  6. Manual verification of payment

  7. Decision Letter (DL) Issued indicating frequencies and operational & technical parameters

  8. Equipment purchased locally from authorized dealer

  9. Separate application for SACFA (as applicable)

  10. Separate Application for Import at RLOs (if required)

  11. Import Licence issued

  12. Manual Scrutiny

  13. WOL issued
• Current Procedure for Typical Network Licence requiring frequency assignments

  1. One-time application for frequency assignment

  2. One-time Scrutiny of details

  3. Simultaneous processing of frequency assignment, SACFA & Import permit (if applicable)

  4. Fees paid by Applicant

  5. Clearance required from IB, MEA or coordination with DoS/Defence

  6. Forwarded clearance to IB, MEA etc

  7. ONE TIME Scrutiny & approval by WPC

  8. LOI (System generated) Intimating Spectrum fees, SACFA & import fees as applicable

  9. DL (Auto generated) when no SACFA required along with Import permit (Auto generated)

  10. SACFA processing with relevant data & clearance

  11. WOL (System generated)

  12. Equipment details entered by User (Purchased locally or imported)
• Spectrum Allocations for Cellular mobile/ IMT- Pre 2012
• Associated Facilities for Auctioned Spectrum
• Inter-band carrier aggregation


  Aggregation of carriers with different frame structures (TDD or FDD)
• Primary cell (PCell)


  The cell in which the device initially performs the initial connection establishment procedure
• Secondary cells (SCells)


  Additional cells configured to provide extra radio resources once the device is in connected mode
• LTE Carrier Aggregation Enhancement Beyond 5 Carriers

  1. Two or more CCs are aggregated to support wider transmission bandwidths up to 640MHz

  2. Backward compatibility with Rel-8/9 carriers

  3. CC can still have a bandwidth of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15 or 20 MHz

  4. Enhancements to DL control signalling for up to 32 component carriers

  5. Enhancements to UL control signalling for up to 32 component carriers
• License-Assisted Access (LAA)


  CA can be used to aggregate downlink carriers in unlicensed frequency bands, primarily in the 5 GHz range, with carriers in licensed frequency bands
• Bandwidth Part (BWP)


  A contiguous set of resource blocks on a given carrier that UEs may operate in
• NR Carrier Aggregation


  1. Maximum number of configured Component Carriers for a UE is 16 for DL and 16 for UL

  2. CC having different bandwidths (in both FR1 and FR2 frequency bands) and different duplex schemes, can be aggregated allowing for overall transmission bandwidths of up to (16 x 400 MHz) = 6.4 GHz

  3. Both CA within a frequency band (intra-band CA) and CA across frequency bands (inter-band CA) are supported

  4. CA with different numerologies is also supported for inter-band CA

  5. UE can be configured with maximum 4 BWP for DL and UL but at a given point of time only one BWP is active for downlink and one for uplink

  6. Multiple BWPs with different numerologies can be multiplexed within a single NR carrier to support different types of services

  7. NR does not support carrier aggregation with LTE and thus dual connectivity is needed to support aggregation of the LTE and NR throughput
• EN-DC operation


  Introduced in Rel-15 to support simultaneous transmissions across LTE and NR
• NR inter-band CA/Dual Connectivity configurations

  • Rel-16 NR inter-band CA/Dual Connectivity for 2 bands DL with up to 2 bands UL
  • Rel16 NR inter-band Carrier Aggregation for 3 bands DL with 1 band UL
• SACFA is a committee formed under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Telecom) for issuing clearance to telecom /communication towers from the point of aviation hazard
• SACFA Committee members


  • Secretary (Telecom) - Chairman
  • Wireless Adviser - Member
  • Director, JCES, Ministry of Defence - Member
  • ED, Airport Authority of India (AAI) - Member
  • Joint Wireless Adviser, WPC Wing - Member Secretary
• 7/40 category


  Towers located more than 7 km from the nearest Airport (AMSL) and having height (including AMSL of site) <= 40 meters will be cleared automatically for all AAI and JCES airports
• AAI cleared category


  • For IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) civil airports: Masts beyond 56km from ARP (Airport Reference Point) of IFR airports up to a height of less than 150 meters
  • For VFR (Visual Flight Rules) Civil Airports: Masts beyond 20 km from ARP of VFR airports up to a height of less than 150 meters
  • Mast heights beyond 20 kms from the ARP (AMSL of ARP) of the AAI airports up to the height of 100 m
• JCES cleared category


  • Mast heights beyond 20 kms from the ARP of the defence airports up to the height of 100 m elevation
• Addl Antenna Category


  Auto cleared on self-declaration basis. Processing fee is Rs 100/- per site
• 5G Small Cells on Street Furniture


  No clearance required and only registration based. Registration fee is Rs 100/-. Max. power limit of the cell is 100 Watts