Microwave Transmission Technology Fundamentals course

Microwave Transmission Technology Fundamentals course

about frequency regulation and equipment standards.

After the course you will have a basic understanding of the following:

International Spectrum Recommendations and Equipment Standards

applicable to Microwave Systems

The role of National Regulation Authorities

Spectrum Licenses and the License Application Process

Radio Channels

To navigate in the course and jump between pages use the Menu button. The

Audio button allows switching the audio on or off and to read the subtitles. The

help button will give this navigation information in writing. The Notes button gives

access to a personal notes field. Click the replay button to view the animation

again and the play/pause button to start or stop the animation

This frequency range is the natural resource available for radio communication.

To make the most of this limited resource it is necessary to regulate and harmonize the use of it.

This regulation cannot be handled by each country alone. Radio signals don’t stop at national

borders. Also, agreements about international services are needed. Therefore the harmonization

work is shared between international regulators, or standardization bodies, and national

authorities.

Good examples of this are GSM and UMTS where standardization means that the same mobile

devices can be used in almost every country. Travelers carry and use their own mobile devices

when visiting other countries.

The GSM standardization also gives the user as well as the network operator the possibility to

choose equipment from different manufacturers. Thus, GSM standardization has helped create a

global market for mobile phones and network equipment.

Other examples of where world-wide standardization is essential are air traffic control, ship to

shore and ship to ship communication, WiFi and satellite orbits.

Spectrum management aims to prevent interference between services and interference between

users within the same service.

Interference can occur when two transmitters use the same frequency. They can disturb each

other and both services can become unavailable. Spectrum management assigns frequencies so

that this will not happen, for example by making sure that stations that are close to each other

don’t use the same frequency.

Frequency assignments also have to ensure the efficient use of the spectrum.