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Spectrum Policies & Emerging Technologies March, 2010 Dr. Veena Rawat President Communications Research Centre Canada

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Overview <ul><li>Introduction - CRC </li></ul><ul><li>Economic and social benefits of radio spectrum </li></ul><ul><li>Spectrum policy issues </li></ul><ul><li>Emerging technologies </li></ul><ul><li>Summary </li></ul>

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Communications Research Centre Canada, Industry Canada <ul><li>Established in 1969 </li></ul><ul><li>Canadian government's primary laboratory for research and development (R&D) in advanced telecommunications, and a center of excellence in information and communications technologies (ICT). </li></ul><ul><li>250 engineers and scientists </li></ul><ul><li>Budget of over $50million </li></ul>CRC Core Competencies WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES RADIO FUNDAMENTALS (propagation, antennas) BROADBAND NETWORKS BROADCASTING & SATCOM CYBER SECURITY / PUBLIC SAFETY

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Radio spectrum and its management <ul><li>Radio spectrum: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Essential enabling component to all sectors of an economy and vital to the social well being of a society </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The development and efficient use of radio spectrum helps to fuel economic growth and innovation </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Spectrum Management: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Involves planning/policy frameworks – domestic and international </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>A sound spectrum management program ensures maximum benefits to: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Individuals </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Businesses </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Governments </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Communities </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Public safety </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Other institutions </li></ul></ul></ul>Efficient spectrum use is critical to economic growth and innovation

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Economic impact of telecommunication <ul><li>Total global telecommunications revenues in 2007: US$1.2 trillion </li></ul><ul><li>It has been predicted that revenue from mobile services will surpass $1 trillion in 2013 (source: Informa Telecoms & Media) </li></ul>Source: OECD Communications Outlook 2009 [www.oecd.org/sti/telecom/outlook]

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ICT penetration <ul><li>The number of mobile subscriptions worldwide has reached 4.6 billion and is expected to exceed 5 billion in 2010 . The ITU expects mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide to exceed 1 billion in 2010 (by the end of 2009, there were 600 million such subscription) (Source: ITU) </li></ul><ul><li>Global mobile data traffic surpassed 1.3 Exabytes transferred during 2008. By 2014, an average of 1.6 Exabytes will be sent and received monthly. (Source: ABI Research) </li></ul>Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/ict/index.html

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Spectrum policy issues <ul><li>Access to spectrum </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Licensing model </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Broadcasting vs other uses (mobile) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Non-commercial uses </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Public safety </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Increased availability of broadband services </li></ul><ul><li>Access to infrastructure </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Antenna towers </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Evolution to new technologies </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Digital television transition </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Open access/net neutrality </li></ul></ul>Spectrum management programs are under constant pressure to meet the demands of rapidly changing wireless environment

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Access to spectrum - licensing models <ul><li>Licensing models: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Licensed: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>first come first served </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>comparative </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>competitive </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Licence-exempt (unlicensed) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Lightly licensed </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Competitive licensing/Auctions </li></ul><ul><ul><li>What spectrum is subject to auction? Commercial use only? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Rights and obligations </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Secondary trading </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Licence duration </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Others </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Licence-exempt (unlicensed) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Increased interest for commercial applications </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>How to ensure protection? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Reduction in revenues to government </li></ul></ul>

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Access to spectrum - broadband to all <ul><li>How do we maximize economic and social benefits to all regardless of geography, economic status, gender, age and culture? </li></ul><ul><li>Canadian initiative: part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, $225 million over three years to extend broadband coverage to unserved and underserved areas. </li></ul><ul><li>The road to success: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Encouragement of public/private partnerships </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Investment in sustainable business models </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Favourable regulatory framework </li></ul></ul>

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Access to spectrum <ul><li>Exploding demand for mobile services </li></ul><ul><li>Suitable spectrum to support mobility, capacity and cost effective services </li></ul><ul><li>Incumbent investment and pressures </li></ul><ul><li>For rural broadband, good coverage, cost effective and for backhaul </li></ul>

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Access to spectrum – public safety <ul><li>Spectrum demand for new applications (e.g. video, Internet access) </li></ul><ul><li>Interoperability </li></ul><ul><li>Shared networks (commercial/public) </li></ul><ul><li>Role of government at different levels </li></ul>

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Access to infrastructure - Antenna towers <ul><li>Real estate cost and availability </li></ul><ul><li>Aesthetics </li></ul><ul><li>Radiation issues </li></ul><ul><li>Approval procedures </li></ul>In Canada: mandated antenna tower and site sharing as well as an obligation to facilitate roaming

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Evolution to new technologies - digital TV transition <ul><li>In the broadcasting band, advances in technology are enabling more efficient use of the radio spectrum, thus freeing up spectrum for other uses </li></ul><ul><li>Challenges faced by broadcasters, especially during a time of economic hardship </li></ul><ul><li>Timing for switch over, all or in major centres first? </li></ul><ul><li>Cross border issues </li></ul><ul><li>Consumer issues/set top boxes </li></ul><ul><li>Alternative uses of freed spectrum by broadcasters and others? </li></ul>Learn from those already switched, CITEL and ITU guidelines available.

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Distribution techniques <ul><li>Now: Over-the-air, satellite, cable </li></ul><ul><li>Future: Emerging delivery technologies </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Improvement to ATSC DTV Transmission </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>IPTV </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Internet TV </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Mobile TV </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Wi-Fi/WiMAX </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>How will video delivery shift from traditional to new distribution techniques in the next 5 years? </li></ul><ul><li>Many business, technology and regulatory issues continue to be addressed </li></ul><ul><li>Balance between commercial and public requirements </li></ul><ul><li>What will be the impact of this shift on the New Media and Entertainment business? </li></ul><ul><li>Will broadcasters use transition to digital to add new services (e.g mobile TV)? </li></ul>

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New Video Distribution Techniques Viewers Production Distribution Place shifting Distribution Rights Cable TV IPTV Broadcast transmitters Satellite Wi-Fi Internet Cellular

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New Applications for Broadcasting Technologies <ul><li>Intelligent Transportation Systems </li></ul><ul><li>Digital Public Alerting </li></ul><ul><li>Datacasting (e.g. Tagging) </li></ul><ul><li>Non-real time data </li></ul><ul><li>Energy management </li></ul>

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Broadcasting and telecommunications platforms Source: CRTC, Communications Report 2009 Consumer Content Providers TSPs ILECs/ CLECs Cable BDUs Over the air Satellite Technology/ IP Driven Wireless Resellers Broadband Convergence Content Wholesale Wholesale Services Wholesale Telephony/Internet Internet/BDU Telco Wholesale Traditional Telephone Service Telephony Video/Radio Telephony Internet Web Sites Internet Traditional BDU Services Video/Radio Traditional Broadcasting Converging platforms Traditional Telecommunications Supplier Platforms Customer

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Open access and net neutrality <ul><li>Should restrictions be imposed on content, sites, platforms, technology, equipment, protocol, etc on networks? </li></ul><ul><li>Some arguments for net neutrality: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Net neutrality ensures equal access to the Internet </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Net neutrality prevents data discrimination (favouring of certain types of traffic/applications/content) which would contribute to an anti-competitive environment </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Some arguments against net neutrality: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Data discrimination ensures quality of service </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Neutrality creates threats to network integrity and security </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Commonality = efficiency, neutrality does not necessarily promote commonality </li></ul></ul>Policies and operators’ role?

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Evolution to new technologies <ul><li>Cognitive Radio </li></ul><ul><li>Software Defined Radio </li></ul><ul><li>MIMO </li></ul><ul><li>Sensor networks </li></ul><ul><li>Use of higher frequencies </li></ul><ul><li>Cloud computing </li></ul><ul><li>Migration to IPv6 </li></ul>

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Summary <ul><li>Explosion of applications using wireless communications will continue to put additional pressure on the demand of spectrum. </li></ul><ul><li>Efficiency in spectrum use will be key to meeting these new demands. </li></ul><ul><li>Spectrum management practices and regulatory framework will evolve and must be enabling </li></ul><ul><li>Need for different skill sets and support for capacity building. </li></ul><ul><li>Incentives to increase innovation. </li></ul>