7696081241

1. Introduction

New Zealand is a Member Administration of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). It is a signatory to the finał acts of radio conferences held by the ITU and subsequently a signatory to the International Radio Regulations. The International Radio Regulations have the status of a United Nations treaty and are the set of international legał documents within which International spectrum management is performed.

The New Zealand legał instruments under which national spectrum management is performed are the Radiocommunications Act 1989, and pursuant to this Act the Radiocommunications Regulations 2001. These legał instruments contain the tools that the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) uses to manage the radio spectrum resource.

The MED uses a number of methods for licensing transmissions. They are Management Rights, Spectrum Licenses, Radio Licenses, General User Licenses and licence exemptions. An overview of the administrative Radio Licensing regime can be found on the Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) website at http://www.rsm.aovt.nz. Further information pertaining to Management Rights and Spectrum Licenses (including the auctioning process) is contained in Public Information Brochure (PIB) 28: "Radio Spectrum Auctions”.

Radio frequency energy can be generated intentionally or unintentionally by electrical devices. Unintentional radiators and intentional radiators that utilise RF energy for purposes other than Communications are not licensed within the strategie framework mentioned above. However, such devices may cause interference to the reception of intentional radiation, and thus an additional framework is necessary to minimise the possibility of interference, or to ensure the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) of all electronic (including radiocommunication) produets. Details of New Zealand's EMC framework can be found on the RSM website.

A recognised technique for managing the radio spectrum to minimise interference is by frequency division; that is by dividing the radio spectrum into arbitrary blocks by frequency. This improves the efficiency by placing technically compatible transmissions in adjoining spectrum. These blocks are then allocated to a particular radio service e.g. Broadcasting, Fixed or Mobile services. A tabular form of this division is the essence of the table of frequency allocations.

The table in section 2 indicates significant, but not necessarily exclusive, existing usage within New Zealand of a rangę of frequencies (ie "bands") by various radio services. It is based on the International Radio Regulations Article 5, section IV, "Table of Frequency Allocations" - particularly where international co-ordination is important such as in the aeronautical, maritime, satellite, navigation, space research, astronomy and amateur services. It should be noted, however, that where spectrum in New Zealand is the subject of privately owned Management Rights, the rightholder determines the highest value use of the spectrum.

This document is intended for use by persons of all levels of expertise from persons with a generał interest in radio usage and allocation through to the Professional radio engineer. It is expected to be used as a resource document for developing policies, recommendations and decisions pertaining to radio spectrum

MED418328

Page 2