Radio has become indispensable for our society to function. Areas, in which the radio waves have become invaluable, are numerous. National defense, disaster warning, public safety, air-traffic control, and weather forecasts (Orbit Resources and Principles of Spectrum Management). Last year the UK’s select committee on Culture, Media and Sport reiterated radio frequency spectrum as a finite natural resource. The availibility of this natureal resource is critical to many telecommunications services (US Spectrum Requirements Report). Theorfore the management of radiofrequency spectrum is essential to the success of digital radio and availibilty is likely to be a key problem (Schulze, 2004). As the number of spectrum users increases, the amount of spectrum available for new and existing services decreases. Each digital radio system requires different spectrum bands and different amounts of bandwidth in which to operate. Systems like IBOC can operate along side analogue radio signals whilst other systems, like Eureka, require new channels.
Internationally the structure of spectrum band allocation is governed internationally by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and nationally by the Australian Communications Authority (ACA). The Digital Radio Study Group report highlighted that digital radio could be used in MF Band, HF Band, VHF Bands I, II and III, UHF Bands IV and V and the 1.5 GHz, 2.3 GHz and 2.6 GHz Bands. In Australia these bands are shared with other broadcasting services (analogue radio and analogue and digital television), radio communications services and, in some cases, secondary services such as amateur radio, wireless microphones and monitoring equipment(Wallage, 2002).
US markets have found the commercial demand for access to some segments of the radio spectrum has exceeded spectrum availability (US Spectrum Requirements Report). Leading the demand for additional spectrum allocations are the various high-technology mobile systems, such as personal communications services (PCS), bluetooth and mobile-satellite systems and a variety of wireless data and voice systems. The continued growth of the telecommunications industry depends to a significant degree on the effective allocation of spectrum to meet additional radiocommunications requirements
The DRSG highlighted several ways Australia could manage its spectrum operations. In some cases it is possible to find spectrum adjacent to existing services in some bands. To facilitate this some services might need to be shifted to different bands. Also within a band itself, services could be shuffeled to create sufficient spectrum for digital radio. Licencing is a significant aspect of this regulation. It was suggested the CRA should limit the amount of future licences available in the revevant digital radio bands.
US National Spectrum Requirements Report available at: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/openness/sp_rqmnts/contents.html Last accesed 27/10/04 last accessed 14/10/04.
Boradcast Australia available at: http://www.broadcastaustralia.com.au/ last accessed 12/10/04.
CRA available at http://www.commercialradio.com.au/index.cfm CRA] last accessed 12/10/04.
DCITA Report available at http://www.dcita.gov.au/Subject_Entry_Page/0,,0_1-2_10,00.html last accessed 12/10/04.
Digital Radio Advisory Committee Final Report available at [1] last accessed 12/10/04.
Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmcumeds/539/53908.htm accessed 23/10/04
Orbit Resources and Principles of Spectrum Management http://www.ictp.trieste.it/~radionet/2000_school/lectures/struzak/AcceSpctrOrbICTP.htm accessed 25/10/04
Wallage, S. (2002) The Feature: can mobile operators save DAB [on-line] Available at: http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=14799 Accessed: 26/10/04.
