Radio Spectrum Management monthly update

The New Zealand Minister for Communications, the Hon Amy Adams, has announced a public consultation that seeks views from industry and individuals on potential future uses for spectrum between 174 and 230 MHz, also known as VHF Band III.

In its latest monthly update, Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) said it has identified a range of potential uses mentioned in the consultation document but concedes there may be others not yet identified.

It also said that, given the large frequency band available, the final band plan may include multiple services.

RSM is calling for submissions on future uses for this unallocated spectrum. Submissions must be received by 27 May 2016 at 5 pm.

The consultation document and instructions on how to make a submission can be found on the RSM website consultation page.

With councils starting to replace extant street lighting with LED equivalents, RSM has warned that consideration must be given to the RF energy LEDs can emit. The RF noise created by a series of lights may be cumulative, given their proximity to each other and their evaluated positions.

Accordingly, RSM has reminded users that “LED lighting imported into the New Zealand market must be tested and comply with the Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS CISPR 15 Limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of electrical lighting and similar equipment, or EN 55015 Limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of electrical lighting and similar equipment”. Each fitting must also be marked with the RCM mark. More details here.

On 14 April, RSM published the Radiocommunications (Radio Standards) Notice 2016, which includes general updates to some radio standards and the introduction of two new radio standards for digital fixed services above 5.9 GHz as a result of the 2015 Fixed Service Review.

You can view the notice on the Radio Spectrum Management website.

RSM has now put mortgage and caveat forms online. According to the RSM website, “Whenever any management rights or spectrum licences are intended to be charged with or made security for payment of any money, the manager or rightholder must present a memorandum of mortgage to the Registrar of Radio Frequencies.”

In addition, “Any person claiming to be entitled to, or to be beneficially interested in, a management right or any spectrum licence, or transferring a management right or any spectrum licence to any other person to be held in trust, may at any time lodge with the Registrar of Radio Frequencies a caveat in the prescribed form.”

More details can be found here.

Image courtesy Optimus Lights