New Zealand's RSM issues reminders on interference issues

New Zealand’s Radio Spectrum Management will hold workshops on interference management as a response to feedback gained during its review of the Radiocommunications Act last year.

The workshops will run between 10 am and 2 pm, and will be held in Wellington on 15 May, Auckland on 22 May and Christchurch on 27 May. Registration is required before 6 May.

The ministry will send a workshop brief to all attendees outlining the options for change, which will also be released on the RSM website. RSM is asking for written feedback on the issues raised in the brief by 1 July 2015, whether or not you attend a workshop.

RSM says that recent work has shown a need for good radio-frequency engineering practices to be employed at ports following an investigation of interference on container-loader drivers’ radio systems. RSM traced the interference to newly installed high-power transmitters that were causing front-end overload of the port’s radio equipment.

The movement of containers is critical for efficient and safe port operations. Some ports use a wireless location system for containers using short-range devices authorised by a general user radio licence.

RSM says that in making the choice to use such a system, operators must take into account the shared nature of the licence and the fact that no regulatory protection is given from the interfering effects of other radio services.