Short Range Spread Spectrum Devices
The operation of Short
Range Spread Spectrum Devices is authorised under the Radiocommunications Class
Licence (Spread Spectrum Devices). This information paper provides
details of this class licence.
Under a class licence, all
users operate in the same spectrum segment on a shared
basis and are subject to the same conditions. A class
licence governs the frequencies that may be used,
commonly prescribes equipment standards, and may specify
other technical and operational parameters. Class
licences do not have to be applied for, and no licence
fees are payable.
Class licences are
'issued' by the ACA by a notice published in the Commonwealth
of Australia Gazette.
Spread spectrum devices
are defined in the class licence as radiocommunications
devices that employ direct sequence spread spectrum
modulation techniques, frequency hopping spread spectrum
modulation techniques, or both, to transmit information.
The Spread Spectrum Devices Class
Licence
supports the use of short range spread spectrum devices
used in applications such as bar code readers, point of
sale networks, radio local area networks (LANs) and
wireless private automatic branch exchanges (PABXs).
To operate under the
class licence a spread spectrum device must either:
Standards Australia has begun the development of
an Australian Standard for short range spread
spectrum devices. When that standard is completed,
the ACA proposes to adopt it and require that devices
operating under the class licence comply with that
standard.
The Spread Spectrum Devices
Class Licence provides for the operation of spread
spectrum devices employing direct sequence, frequency
hopping or a combination of direct sequence and
frequency hopping modulation techniques within the
frequency bands and power limits indicated in Table
1.
Table 1 - Spread
Spectrum Devices Frequency Bands and Power Limits
Frequency Band (MHz)
|
Maximum Equivalent
Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP)
|
915 to 928
|
1 watt
|
2400 to 2463
|
4 watts
|
2463 to 2483.5
|
200 milliwatts
|
5725 to 5875
|
1 watt
|
Spread spectrum
devices operating under the class licence:
- must not cause
interference to other radiocommunications
services and will not be afforded protection
from interference caused by other
radiocommunications services; and
- when operating in
bands designated for industrial, scientific
and medical (ISM) applications will not be
afforded protection from interference which
may be caused by ISM applications (eg
microwave ovens). The relevant ISM bands are
918-926 MHz, 2400-2500 MHz and 5725-5875 MHz.
It is important that
spread spectrum device users comply with the
conditions in the class licence. Subsection 132(3) of
the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the Act) provides that:
'Operation of a
radiocommunications device is not authorised by a
class licence if it is not in accordance with the
conditions of the licence.'
If any condition of
licence is breached (for example, using higher power
than that authorised in the class licence), that
operation is no longer authorised under the class
licence. In such instances, the operator would be
subject to the offence provisions of the Act.
As well as specific
conditions spelt out in the class licence, operation
of a spread spectrum device is also subject to the
provisions of the Act.
If you have any additional
queries relating to the Radiocommunications Class
Licence (Spread Spectrum Devices) please contact any ACA
Office.
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