1. 25.5-27 GHz identification for IMT 5G The ESA perspective
Edoardo Marelli
European Space Agency
2/11/2016
ECC IMT 5G Workshop
Mainz

2. Contents Why is the 25.5-27 GHz band so important for ESA?
Deployments ahead of studies. Is there flexibility?
Compatibility studies. Not too much time left.
Future earth station licences guaranteed?
Conclusions

3. 1 Why is the 25.5-27 GHz band so important for ESA? (1/5)
The GHz band is part of one of the bands to be studied for possible identification for IMT 5G ( GHz).
Main groups of ESA satellite application areas at 26 GHz:
European Data Relay Satellites (EDRS) feeder links.
MetSat satellites (MTG, MetOp Second Generation) high rate data downlink.
EESS satellites high rate data downlink
SRS satellites high rate data downlink
Note:
No alternative bands available for MetSat and EESS.
Problematic alternatives for EDRS and SRS.

4. 1 Why is the 25.5-27 GHz band so important for ESA? EDRS (2/5)
The EDRS satellites use the band GHz to relay to the Earth stations the environmental/ scientific/security-related data collected by the various ESA/EUMETSAT Sentinel satellites that are part of the EC/ESA programme Copernicus.
European Data Relay System (EDRS)
The current EDRS Earth stations are in Belgium, Germany, Italy and UK. But additional ones are expected to be built in the future to allow the various countries participating in the Copernicus programme to directly receive the satellite data.
A certain number of new Sentinel satellites will be launched in the next years and will use the EDRS system for relaying their data to the Earth.
No other EESS allocations of sufficient size exist. The use of FSS allocations would be very critical for coordination and would require total re-design of the satellite.

5. 1 Why is the 25.5-27 GHz band so important for ESA? MetSat (3/5)
Most of the future MetSat satellites will need to use the GHz band for direct downlink of their payload data to dedicated Earth stations.
The MHz band is too limited in bandwidth for the new sensors used for meteorological applications and climatology studies.
No other MetSat/EESS allocations of sufficient size exist.
Among the satellites already planning to use this band for direct downlink of payload data we can mention Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite system with 6 satellites from 2020 onwards, and the series of MetOp 2nd generation satellites (6 satellites from 2020 onwards)
Meteosat Third Generation Mission Data Acquisition Facility site at Lario

6. 1 Why is the 25.5-27 GHz band so important for ESA? EESS (4/5)
Similarly to MetSat, most of the future Earth Exploration Satellites (EESS) will need to use the GHz band for direct downlink of their payload data to dedicated Earth stations.
The MHz band is too limited in bandwidth for these new sensors.
No other EESS allocations of sufficient size exist.
Earth Observation Payloads under development like high-resolution SARs and hyper-spectral imagers generate very high amounts of data.
Increasing payload data volume 
Higher data rate requirements for downlink 
Can only be supported by using GHz band
Generic functions in the 26GHz communications system. (IOAG LEO26SG Final Report, 2012)

7. 1 Why is the 25.5-27 GHz band so important for ESA? SRS (5/5)
Space Research Satellite (SRS) missions requiring high amounts of data downlink to Earth stations are planning to use the GHz band.
The GHz band is ideal for satellites operating at Lagrangian points or around/on the Moon.
No other SRS allocations of sufficient size and sufficiently low frequency exist.
Examples of these missions in ESA are:
- Euclid (launch 2020)
- Plato (launch 2024)
Also the International Moon Village project is baselining the use of this frequency.
EUCLID: The ESA 35m antennas at Cebreros (Spain) and Malargue (Argentina) will be used to downlink the scientific data in the GHz band

8. 2 Deployments ahead of studies: Is there flexibility?
The European Commission (DG-CONNECT) has developed an Action Plan for starting harmonization and early deployments of IMT 5G now (early 2017).
The RSPG has proposed to have the band GHz used for these activities, ahead of any compatibility study with existing services.
Key questions:
What will happen if the TG 5/1 studies conclude that IMT should be identified in a different band or with different technical and operational characteristics than the ones used for these early deployments?
Any reassurance of not facing the ”fait accompli” argument by Europe to resist the TG 5/1 conclusions at WRC-19?

9. 3 Compatibility studies. Not too much time left (1/3)
WRC-19 AI 1.13 has been agreed without any technical and operational definition of what IMT 5G will be.
This information will be available from WP 5D only in March 2017.
The first TG 5/1 meeting where studies can be presented will take place in May 2017.
Studies must be completed by the May 2018 meeting. Last TG 5/1 meeting in September 2018 only for CPM text finalization
Only 3 TG 5/1 meetings and 12 months time available for studying all sharing scenarios in all bands under 1.13.

10. 3 Compatibility studies. Not too much time left (2/3)
TG-5/1, §4
Jan 2018
TG-5/1, §6
Sept 2018
WRC-19
Nov 2019
Begin sharing/compatibility studies
TG-5/1, §1
May 2016
TG-5/1, §2
15 May 2017
Finalisation of sharing and compatibility studies
TG-5/1, §3
Sept. 2017
TG-5/1, §5
May 2018
2016
2017
2018
2019
INDICATIVE LIST OF POSSIBLE STUDIES UNDER WRC-19 AI 1.13
Completion of Draft CPM text
FINAL CPM REPORT (6months prior WRC19)
“WP-5D is to conduct and complete the studies with regards to spectrum needs, technical and operational characteristics including protection criteria, and deployment scenarios for the terrestrial component of IMT by 31 March 2017 and report the results of these studies to TG 5/1”
Annex 2 to Task Group 5/1 Chairman’s Report

11. 3 Compatibility studies. Not too much time left (3/3)
Difficult to estimate if the available time will be sufficient to complete the studies. Most time is expected to be spent arguing on interpretation of IMT parameters and deployment densities.
For the satellite services the result is likely to be an exclusion zone around the earth stations, based on specific IMT parameter limits.
The size of this zone will be important to evaluate the difficulty to enforce it.
The number of these zones will be rather limited. But it will not be a fully static list.

12. 4 Future earth station licences guaranteed? (1/3)
In order to operate a satellite a licence must be obtained from the national authority of the country where the earth station is.
The licence is meant to ensure that there is mutual compatibility between the terrestrial systems in the coordination zone and the satellite earth station.
Resolution 238 (WRC-15) requires to ensure the future operations of EESS and SRS earth stations (footnote 2 of resolves 2).
But past negative experiences have shown that the introduction of IMT systems in bands used by satellite services have resulted in the impossibility to get new satellite licences.

13. 4 Future earth station licences guaranteed? (2/3)
Example 1: The identification of the band MHz for UMTS has resulted in the impossibility for ESA to obtain new licences for SRS operations in that band. All the new ESA satellites had to be designed for operating in a different band.
Example 2: The identification of the band GHz for IMT in Europe is resulting in serious difficulties for any European satellite operator to obtain a licence in the band, even if now there are not yet any IMT systems operating in the band.
Why is this happening? Because IMT licences with some geographical limitations around satellite earth stations may result in lower licence price than unlimited ones.

14. 4 Future earth station licences guaranteed? (3/3)
Therefore, even once exclusion zones are identified as a mean to achieve compatibility, this may still result in the loss of use of the band for the satellite services.
The key question is: What can be done to avoid this?
The answer “It is a matter for national administrations” is not an answer ESA can accept. Past experiences show it would not work.
An internationally agreed mechanism must be found to ensure the future use of the GHz band by the satellite services.

15. 5 Conclusions
The GHz band is essential for the future ESA activities in important areas benefitting European citizens and governments (meteorology, environment, security)
ESA fully trusts TG 5/1 to come with correct conclusions of their compatibility studies but:
Early deployments should not be used as an argument to try modifying these conclusions.
Any technical solution found by TG 5/1 should be accompanied by measures to ensure the real availability of the band for satellite systems (no national solutions).