Cordless audio devices are widely used in the entertainment industry - they include such items as professional radio microphones, cordless audio distribution, foldback and talkback systems. They also include low-cost licence-exempt consumer radio microphones, audio systems used by tour guides, and aids for handicapped people.

Devices such as radio microphones are small and highly mobile. Since the professional versions tend to be moved to different parts of the world, they need to meet local regulations, and the best way to achieve this is for them to be specified at a world-wide level.

The Global Standards Collaboration (GSC), of which ETSI is a partner, has studied requirements for radio microphones and cordless audio equipment in standards organizations throughout the world and adopted a report including globally-acceptable specifications for these products. Participating Standards Organizations were requested to transpose these specifications into their own deliverables. ETSI has done this by adapting the existing standards to align them with the decisions of GSC.

Responding to market needs

Another example of ETSI's work in this area concerns cordless audio devices using VHF Band II. A number of devices (e.g. portable music players) have been developed which contain a very low-power FM broadcast transmitter to send music to a user's radio receiver on an unused channel - typically, this would permit a user to play their MP3 player through their car radio. However, current legislation does not allow the operation of such equipment in European countries, but ETSI has been working with CEPT to develop a standard to allow such operation without causing harmful interference to licensed broadcast services. This has now been incorporated into the relevant standard, EN 301 357 (cordless audio devices).

This page attempts to answer the questions most frequently received by ETSI regarding radio spectrum matters in Europe.

1. What frequency can I use in Europe?
2. How does frequency harmonization happen?
3. How can ETSI initiate frequency harmonization measures? (What is a System Reference Document?)
4. How can pan-European frequencies be designated with legal certainty?
5. How are long-term frequency policy matters treated?

Q1. What frequency can I use in Europe?

My equipment complies with the Radio & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) Directive. But what frequency can it use?

A. It depends how and where you want to use it. Various possibilities exist:

• There is a European Commission Decision under the Radio Spectrum Decision (676/2002/EC) or a specific Directive (e.g. DECT^TM, GSM).
• The European Commission has classified your equipment as Class 1 under the R&TTE Directive.
• The use of the frequency bands is not formally harmonized.

• There is a European Commission Decision under the Radio Spectrum Decision (676/2002/EC) or a specific Directive (e.g. DECT^TM, GSM). All EU Member States are required to harmonize their spectrum regulations. Provided that you comply, your equipment may be marketed and used without restriction in all Member States.

Other European Commission Decisions are under development in the Commission's Radio Spectrum Committee (RSCOM).

b) The European Commission has classified your equipment as Class 1 under the R&TTE Directive. EU Member States have decided to harmonize their spectrum regulations.

Class 1 is divided into a number of subclasses, which are listed on the web site of the European Radiocommunications Office (ERO). The subclasses include the following (non-exhaustive). Provided that you comply, your equipment may be marketed and used without restriction. Note that the following table is for guidance only. Certain bands are restricted in the applications that may be used.

c) The use of the frequency bands is not formally harmonized. You are required to inform the relevant Member State of your intention to market the equipment, and inform the user of national usage restrictions. National Administrations co-operate via CEPT, which may have adopted Decisions or Recommendations which can be used for guidance. However, they may not have been fully implemented in all Member States. You should check with the relevant Administration. A list of CEPT Deliverables and contact points in the CEPT Administrations are available from the European Radiocommunications Office (ERO).

ETSI Technical Report TR 102 137 lists ETSI standards ordered by the frequency band which they use. This is currently under revision.

Information on spectrum availability in different countries can be found using the European Frequency Information System.

Q2. How does frequency harmonization happen?

A. National Administrations co-operate via the European Conference of Post and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), and in particular its Electronic Communications Committee (ECC), which is administered by the European Radiocommunications Office (ERO). The ERO publishes Decisions and Recommendations to be followed by National Regulatory Administrations in making their national frequency regulations. Recommendations and Decisions of CEPT are normally not mandatory on Administrations, but they can become so (in European Union Member States) by a Decision of the European Commission.

Work within CEPT may be initiated by

• any National Administration, or
• by a request (mandate) from the European Commission, or
• by a request from ETSI (usually accompanied by a System Reference Document (SRDoc).

ETSI members may take part in the work of the CEPT under the Memorandum of Understanding. ETSI's Technical Committee ERM (in particular, its Radio Matters working group) is responsible for co-ordinating ETSI interaction with CEPT/ECC. ETSI has a Memorandum of Understanding with CEPT, which allows ETSI members to provide direct input to most of the drafting groups (project teams and task groups) of the ECC. ETSI may additionally appoint Reporters who have the role of:

• Gathering information in these meetings and forward it to ETSI
• Introducing ETSI documents (e. g. Liaison Statements) if any, in such meetings (on ad-hoc basis).

ETSI appoints a Liaison Officer to speak on behalf of ETSI and to give an indication of the balance of views among ETSI members to the Working Groups. This ETSI Liaison Officer is an official of the Radio Matters working group of ETSI Technical Committee ERM.

Q3. How can ETSI initiate frequency harmonization measures?

A. ETSI makes its request for CEPT/ECC action (usually an allocation of radio spectrum) by a System Reference Document.

A System Reference Document is an ETSI Technical Report which is drafted by the member or ETSI technical committee which is initiating the request for spectrum. As the System Reference Document will ultimately be published as a document reflecting the co-ordinated views of ETSI (not only of the originators) the work item is placed under the work programme of the Radio Matters working group, and is finally approved for publication by ETSI Technical Committee ERM.

The System Reference Document contains:

• a basic description of the radio application, and a simple technical description. Any ETSI standards which apply, or are being drafted, are indicated;
• an indication of the spectrum required by the radio application (for example how much bandwidth & power are necessary, if specific frequency bands are preferred, if particular licensing conditions are needed). Almost all radio frequencies are in use by some application, and the System Reference Document should indicate how compatibility with existing services can be ensured;
• market forecasts. Administrations have the responsibility to ensure that the radio spectrum is used efficiently, with a maximum economic and social benefit. The System Reference Document should give sufficient material of this nature to CEPT Administrations to justify an allocation of spectrum.

Detailed guidance on the drafting of System Reference Documents (EG 201 788) is available for download.

Once drafted, the System Reference Document is submitted to the Radio Matters working group, which will invite comments from other affected ETSI committees (normally over 28 days), and indicate the level of consensus achieved to CEPT.

Where diverging views are reported, the Radio Matters working group will convene a meeting including members of the committees affected to try to find a resolution. Where resolution is not possible, the working group will normally indicate the opposing views to CEPT and request them to take a decision. In particular cases, the matter may be referred to ETSI Technical Committee ERM for a formal vote.

The current status of ETSI System Reference Documents can be found in the work programme of the Radio Matters working group.

Q4. How can pan-European frequencies be designated with legal certainty?

A. Where a Community policy exists which is dependent on radio spectrum use, the European Commission can adopt technical implementing measures with the assistance of its Radio Spectrum Committee (RSCOM). These are based on proposals of the CEPT/ECC, produced under mandate, and take the form of Commission Decisions. These Commission Decisions have legal force in all EU Member States.

RSCOM is composed of Member States, with CEPT, ETSI and the European Parliament as permanent observers. ETSI is represented as an observer on RSCOM by the ETSI Secretariat and the Chairman of the Radio Matters working group.

An overview of the current work of RSCOM is available from the website of the European Commission.

Q5. How are long-term frequency policy matters treated?

A. The European Commission's Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) assists and advises the Commission on radio spectrum policy issues, on co-ordination of policy approaches and, where appropriate, on harmonized conditions with regard to the availability and efficient use of radio spectrum necessary for the establishment and functioning of the internal market.

The members of the Group are representatives of the Member States and of the Commission. Representatives of the EEA countries, European Union candidate countries, the European Parliament, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) and the European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute (ETSI) attend as observers. ETSI is represented as an observer on the Radio Spectrum Policy Group by the ETSI Secretariat and the Chairman of the Radio Matters working group.

The RSPG produces opinions delivered in response to requests from the European Commission.

The RSPG has adopted opinions in the following areas:

• secondary trading of rights to use radio spectrum
• spectrum implications of the switchover to digital broadcasting
• Wireless Access Policy for Electronic Communications Services (WAPECS) (A more flexible spectrum management approach)
• World Radiocommunications Conference 2007 (WRC-07)
• Multimedia services
• Scientific use of spectrum
• EU spectrum policy implications of the Digital Dividend.

Further information on the activities of the RSPG can be found on the RSPG web site.