1. Update on EFIS (ECO Frequency Information System) CEPT/ECC WGFM Civil/Military Meeting Dublin, November 2013

2. General info
EFIS is the information tool to fulfill the ECC Decision ECC/DEC/(01)03 and the EC Decision 2007/344/EC on the harmonised availability of information regarding spectrum use in Europe
42 CEPT countries (incl. all EU member states) are represented in EFIS; also, there is an ITU allocation table (Region 1) and the ECA (European Common Allocations) table
The ECA is fully integrated in EFIS and all data in ECA are searchable (and comparable) as is the case with national accounts data
In 2012, another mandate to CEPT was issued to further develop EFIS in relation to the RSPP (Radio Spectrum Policy Programme of the European Parliament and the Council as set out in 243/2012/EU).
This mandate recognised the existing role of the ECO Frequency Information System (EFIS) and the potential to develop it in a way which would enable it to serve as a primary input to the spectrum inventory. See CEPT Reports 46 and 47. The following Commission Implementing Decision 2013/195/EU defines the practical arrangements, uniform formats and a methodology in relation to the spectrum inventory, in particular, that data should be made available by Member States through EFIS.

3. European Common Allocation Table
ERC Report 25 (the ECA Table) is now generated from EFIS. The ECA Table contains all CEPT ECC harmonisation measures (ECC Decisions and Recommendations identifying spectrum) and the related ETSI harmonised European standards for radio services and applications.
EFIS contains the following data types (regulatory information):
Allocations
Applications (agreed application terminology as in ECC Decision (01)03 Annex 2)
Radio interfaces
Documents
Right of use info

4. Recent EFIS development
Spectrum management information has featured much more prominently in EFIS since early 2012, with the introduction of a ‘non-regulatory’ section
A wide range of information is now available, mostly in the form of documents linked to the European Table of Frequency Allocations and Applications (the “ECA table” or simply “ECA”); among these CEPT questionnaire summaries for dedicated spectrum inventory purposes, ECC Reports (e.g. compatibility studies) and other useful information about the actual present and future planned spectrum usage
Enhancements and improvements: a considerable number of software enhancements were made during Many of these were additional features for and improvement of administrations’ interface with EFIS. The issue of user-friendliness and efficiency in EFIS, also for national administrations, is always a matter of high priority in the development of the tool. In addition the following was implemented:
the visibility of information and clarity of display were improved via an increased use of icons/thumbnails, for example for notes/comments fields, to avoid displays getting too big and to make the appearance tidier.
Cross-referencing of information was also introduced (for example display of ECA allocations and applications via thumbnails).

5. On-going Developments
CEPT Report 46 provides the information how EFIS is going to be improved to support the spectrum inventory
Electronic questionnaires as a key feature to be introduced
Information becomes available as data
Questionnaires set out the most appropriate data format for individual frequency bands and applications
Many new features are to be introduced in EFIS:
Date fields indicate validity of information, duplex pairing, technology in use, etc.
Provide tools to administrations to provide non-regulatory information and on evolution of spectrum use
Provide possibility to third parties yo contribute information into EFIS
Support existing processes such as ETSI-ECC cooperation (e.g. ETSI spectrum utilisation proposals (demand side) to be shown in EFIS at all stages)

6. ”R&TTE Directive related information” Information pages in EFIS

7. Information available in ‘Documents’ section (1)
EFIS contains a wealth of information both in national tables and ECA in the form of ‘documents’ (actual documents or links, e.g. to national websites)
There are two documents categories, regulatory and non-regulatory, also called ‘spectrum inventory’

8. Information available in ‘Documents’ section (2)
‘Regulatory’ type documents:
EC Decisions: relevant Decisions of the European Commission
ECC Decs/Recs: ECC Deliverables, i.e. Decisions, Recommendations and Reports
Harmonised standards: European Harmonised Standards
RIS Models: Radio Interface Specifications Models
These documents are all linked to the ECA table in EFIS and uploaded by ECO
Licensing info: linked to national tables and uploaded by national administrations
NTFA: National Tables of Frequency Allocations
Other: Documents containing other relevant information
R&TTE subclass: Class 1 and Class 2 information (with EC having access to update info)
‘Spectrum inventory’ type documents
ECC-ECO: relevant information about current usage of one or several frequency bands, or expected future usage.
ETSI Srdoc: (System Reference Documents): may include information about the market such as existing spectrum usage, current regulations, forecasted spectrum usage and a proposal for the future spectrum usage as well as regulation. These documents are already published by ETSI and sent to the CEPT.
Draft ETSI SRdoc: this type includes ETSI SRdocs which are not published yet, but exist as adopted ETSI ERM Work Items or draft SRdocs.
EU: relevant information/reports from European Commission
National: when national administrations have additional information of a non-regulatory nature on the possible evolution of spectrum use under study in their country they may upload documents under this type.
Third Parties: documents with relevant information from ECC MoU/LoU partners. These partners propose such documents to be uploaded into EFIS to the ECO. When agreed, ECO uploads the information. ‘

9. How to search for information
Basic principles for using the EFIS tool/database:
All data types are searchable by national table (or ECA, ITU)
A search (or comparison between different countries) may be narrowed down by specifying a frequency range and/or an allocation/application
Documents are searchable by frequency range and/or applications, i.e. a search may be narrowed down by specifying specific parameters
Search results are csv-exportable
Display of search results: in the ‘Status’ column are clickable icons showing:
validity date for document
European Common frequency allocations
And, for deliverables:
Implementation status

10. ECC Deliverables in EFIS
Status column: click on icons will display
validity date for document
European Common frequency allocations
Implementation status for specific deliverable
Search for ECC Decisions and Recommendations:
narrowed down by indicating specific search parameters:
frequency range and application

11. Implementation status for ECC deliverables
Click on icon provides graphic display of implementation status for the specific Decision

12. European Harmonised Standards in EFIS
Regulatory document type ‘Harmonised standards’ is selected
This type automatically links to ECA table
Search is narrowed down by indicating a specific frequency range
Status column: click on icons will display
validity date for document
European Common frequency allocations

13. Possible Items for Consideration
CEPT Report 46: Related to the “third party” document category, intended to be used for all spectrum inventory relevant information from e.g. MoU/LoU partners of the ECC. This document type is already in use, but the amount of information given here will increase.
The NATO Civil/Military Capability Panel Spectrum Management (CaP3) has already decided in military session to provide information to the EFIS database on the military use of spectrum including EFIS application layer 2 as a harmonised approach, except where national laws do not allow.
Review military application terminology in ECC/DEC/(01)03?
Related to the ECA Table
Review military entries in the ECA Table?

14. EFIS contacts in ECO Thomas Weber
Spectrum Management
Tel:
ECO
Nansensgade 19-3, 1366 Copenhagen, Denmark Tel: Fax: