RPG/ACP/NSP WP-12
International Civil Aviation Organization
Regional Preparatory Group (RPG) Meeting for World Radiocommunication
Conference 2007 (WRC-2007), ACP Working Group B and F and NSP SSG
Meetings.
Bangkok, Thailand, 21-25 February 2005.
.
Agenda Item 1.d.i: Review of ICAO Position for WRC-07; Agenda Item 1.6; Resolution 414
ANALYSIS OF 960-1215 MHZ BAND
(Presented by Mike Biggs)
Summary
As part of aviation studies in support of the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference
(WRC-07), aeronautical frequency bands are being considered for co-primary aeronautical
mobile (route) service (AM(R)S) allocations. This paper analyzes the 960-1215 MHz
aeronautical radionavigation service (ARNS) band, and concludes that a portion of that band
would also be suitable for AM(R)S.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The 960-1215 MHz band is allocated in all Regions for the aeronautical radionavigation
service (ARNS), and is heavily utilized worldwide for distance measuring equipment (DME),
tactical air navigation (TACAN), secondary surveillance radar (SSR), military identification
friend or foe (IFF), and in some States the military Joint Tactical Information Distribution
System/Multifunctional Information Distribution System (JTIDS/MIDS)1. The frequency
978 MHz is also planned for the Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) currently being
standardized by ICAO. Because of its good propagation characteristics, this band would be
suitable for both air-air and air-ground communications.
2.0 Analysis of Current Usage
2.1 DME/TACAN use of the band is strictly governed through a channel plan contained in
Annex 10. This plan results in different portions of the band having different characteristics,
and provides further guidance as to the suitability of specific frequencies for AM(R)S. In
particular, the following sub-bands can be defined:
960-977 MHz
1
In at least one State, next-generation JTIDS/MIDS equipment will be capable of remapping frequencies below
1030 MHz to the sub-band above 1030 MHz. That may offer the opportunity to move, as needed, JTIDS/MIDS
signals from below 1030 MHz.
o Termed national allotment channels, these frequencies are not part of the
ICAO DME channel plan. These channels are used in some States for military
mobile TACAN.
o JTIDS/MIDS starting at 969 MHz
978 MHz
o DME “emergency channel”, only 8 operational ground-based assignments
worldwide.
o Used in some States for DME ramp testers
o Planned for use by UAT
o JTIDS/MIDS channel
979-1024 MHz
o DME/TACAN use limited to fixed ground-based transponders
o 1021-1024 MHz generally not assigned in order to protect SSR
o JTIDS/MIDS
1025-1150 MHz
o Heavily utilized by both airborne and ground-based DME/TACAN
transmitters
o Includes 1030 MHz and 1090 MHz SSR/IFF channels with their high-
density/wide-band emissions.
o JTIDS/MIDS
1151-1163 MHz
o DME/TACAN use limited to fixed ground-based transponders
o 1151-1156 MHz generally not assigned in order to protect SSR
o JTIDS/MIDS
o Adjacent to sensitive GNSS band 1164-1215 MHz
1164-1215 MHz
o DME/TACAN use limited to fixed ground-based transponders
o Next generation GNSS systems in development
o JTIDS/MIDS
3.0 960-1215 MHz Band Conclusions
3.1 Reviewing the defined sub-bands, the following conclusions regarding new AM(R)S
allocations can be drawn:
a) 960-977 MHz offers a good opportunity for aviation use with minimal impact on
existing aviation infrastructure;
b) 978 MHz should be included to facilitate UAT development. Compatibility of
UAT and DME has already been decided;
c) 979-1024 MHz provides good potential for sharing with AM(R)S. Existing users
are fairly narrowband and generate pulsed emissions with pulse lengths on the
order of 10 microseconds. In addition the expected interference environment is
analyzable and manageable due to the predominance of fixed ground-based
emitters.
d) 1025-1150 MHz should be avoided by AM(R)S. The band is heavily utilized for
both ground-based and airborne emitters, and it includes the wideband air traffic
control 1030/1090 MHz systems. Aircraft cosite problems are likely to be an
issue.
e) 1151-1163 MHz offers potential for AM(R)S, though care must be taken to protect
the upper-adjacent GNSS band. Best potential might be the currently little-used
1151-1156 MHz band, which would then preserve a guard band around the GNSS.
Cosite issue would probably restrict such AM(R)S use to short, low duty-cycle
burst transmissions. An alternative might be to use those channels for any
military mobile TACANs that are currently accommodated in 960-977 MHz,
thereby freeing those lower channels for AM(R)S.
f) 1164-1215 MHz is heavily used by DME/TACAN, including powerful enroute
systems. In addition, while the GNSS in development for that band has been
designed to be compatible with that DME/TACAN interference, little margin
remains to accommodate additional sources, especially on-board transmitters such
as a new aeronautical communications system. As a result, this sub-band should
be avoided for AM(R)S.
4.0 960-1215 MHz Band Recommendations
4.1 AM(R)S allocation should be sought for the 960-1024 MHz band.
4.2 Proposed AM(R)S systems should be designed to be highly tolerant of narrowband
pulsed emissions (e.g., digital systems employing error-correction coding and messages (or
bits) that are long compared to 10 microsecond pulses).
4.3 Due to the structured DME/TACAN ground system environment, proposed AM(R)S
systems and aircraft cosite integration issues may benefit from a design with strict front-end
filtering of adjacent channel emissions. Frequency hopping or multi-frequency techniques
making use of published ground station databases may also prove useful. Appendix A
contains additional band characteristics and considerations that may facilitate compatibility.
APPENDIX A
Design of the new communications system (CS) should take account of the incumbent users of the
band to maximize its acceptance. From an initial examination, two characteristics of the ICAO
standard distance measuring equipment (DME) could provide opportunity for CS implementation.
Characteristic #1: The DME band is assigned on 1 MHz channels, with the interrogation and
reply channels separated by 63 MHz. In addition, in the 979-1024 MHz portion of the band all
the transmitters are on the ground in fixed locations.
Possible Exploitations:
a. Since the DME are at fixed locations, the DME environment in each part of the new CS
service volume is calculable. The CS could be designed to use a pre-selected (based on the
published DME database) subset of CS channels depending on geographic location, ensuring
compatibility within the service volume without the “hidden terminal” risks inherent in
systems that “listen” for clear channels on which to broadcast.
b. Though the airborne portion of the DME system would have a receiver at the ground
frequency (i.e., in the 960-1024 MHz band), the airborne transmitter will be above 1042 MHz
(ground system freq plus 63 MHz). Once tracking, that on-board DME component (termed
the interrogator) would only need to transmit a few times a second, and would know (within a
small time window) when to expect a reply. As a result, it is possible the DME interrogation
and CS transmissions could be coordinated such that the CS is not transmitting when the
DME reply is expected. For example, if the new CS utilizes time division multiple access
(TDMA), perhaps the expected DME reply could be scheduled for the end of the guardtime
interval so that even if there was step-on from off-board CS transmissions, it was from a CS
transmitter that was distant/weak. From testing accomplished during the Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS) integration studies, the DME signal is relatively robust and tends to
"ride" on noise-like signals.
Characteristic #2: The transmitted DME signal is quite narrowband (order of 300 kHz),
though the DME receiver bandwidth is closer to 650 kHz to account for slight mistuning.
Possible Exploitation:
a. Current voice communication channels can be accommodated in less than the ICAO
standard 8.33 kHz, though with the data requirements it is expected the CS channels would
be wider. As a result however, it is possible that relatively narrow communication channels
could be fitted between the DME channels to minimize impact. For example, 100 kHz
communication channels could be defined in the band 960-1024 MHz (about 640 of them).
Given the widespread deployment of DME, it is likely only certain channels could be used in
certain areas. In the unlikely situation that all channels are utilized by DME in a given sector,
one still might be able to use the xxx.4; xxx.5 and xxx.6 channels without impacting the
adjacent xxx.0 and xxx+1.0 DME channels. In areas without large-scale DME presence,
more of the defined channels could be used.
