1. Monitoring RF Spectrum in MODERN WIRELESS ERA
SINGAPORe
Presented By CAVIN WANG
19 APRIL 2018

2. Current LEGAL and MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE FOR NATIONAL SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT and MONITORING
Current applicants are required a license to offer services and dependent on type of licenses may be bounded by QoS requirements stipulated in their license obligations. Licenses includes service license, equipment licence, and for spectrum part requires spectrum license which majority includes:
Long Term/Permanent License
Trial License (Up to 3 months)
Experimental License (Yearly renew)
For SRD complying with specs such as IMDA TS SRD (does not require license)
Applicants can apply for license via the LicenseOne public web portal
IMDA have frequent spectrum coordination meetings with our neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei to ensure harmonious use of spectrum across the region.
Monitoring is part of the resource team, which does coordination and assignment as well, and deals with monitoring of frequency, interference as well as spectrum usage, and is assisted by the enforcement group should any legal actions be necessitate to be imposed on the user.
[RESTRICTED]

3. Key SPECTRUM HOLDERS AND SPECTRUM LICENSING STRUCTURE
Key Spectrum Holder includes
Mobile Network Operators
Government Agencies
Broadcasters
Trunk Radios
Satellite
Maritime and Aeronautical
Microwave
Navigation purposes
And others
Spectrum Licensing structure are accordance by the type of spectrum frequency, type of services, bandwidth and duration applied for as published in IMDA Spectrum Management Handbook.
[RESTRICTED]

4. Infrastructure available for spectrum monitoring
The tools available for spectrum monitoring includes
Fixed monitoring stations, with plans to expand more in improving reach
Mobile monitoring system
Satellite monitoring receivers
Spectrum analysers and portable receivers, for narrowing on interference source
TV receivers
Operation Command Centre for 24 x 7 monitoring
Friendly neighbours to assist in locating source in cross-border interferences
[RESTRICTED]

5. Key interference issues and techniques/strategies adopted to resolve the issues
Key interference issues includes:
RFID readers that interfere into Mobile Operators 900 MHz uplink band. A couple of cases are RFID readers from USA that does not fit into Singapore SRD bands in 920 – 925 MHz
DECT telephone that interferes with Mobile Operators 1800 MHz uplink band. The few cases are DECT phone brought in from USA that does not fit into the SRD band for DECT
Recent investigations (still ongoing) on HDMI cables that a number of them found to have cable not shielded to the ground on the HDMI connector, resulting in possible interference to the 700 MHz band
Current techniques to resolve issues from SRD:
Identify site/area of complaint
Mobile monitoring to target location of strongest signals
Using spectrum Analyzer/Receiver to comb buildings to locate interference source and to resolve the issue
[RESTRICTED]

6. Issues faced
Spectrum monitoring and interference hunting is a resource intensive task with demand for expertise and experience in the role and a broad knowledge in different wireless domains.
Currently looking at ways to more automated capabilities such as
Proactive automated measurement of the spectrum usage across the country, to understand the spectrum usage landscape. Mounted in public transport etc. Challenges in issues to measure interference from short range devices
Proactively monitor interference 24 x 7 basis including long range, mid range and short range devices across the country, and to be able to take actions before causing impact to services
[RESTRICTED]

7. THANK YOU
[RESTRICTED]