25.4.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 105/27

(1)

The efficient use of the 900 MHz and 1 800 MHz bands has been reviewed by the Member States with a view to covering additional technologies while ensuring technical compatibility with the GSM system and other wireless broadband systems by appropriate means in accordance with Council Directive 87/372/EEC (2).

(2)

The Internet of Things (IoT) generally refers to the interconnection via the internet of devices embedded in everyday objects, which enable these objects to exchange data. Wireless IoT may also be realised through electronic communications services based on cellular technologies, which normally make use of licensed spectrum. Wireless IoT applications serve a wide range of industrial sectors such as energy or automotive and rely on spectrum availability.

(3)

In its Spectrum Roadmap for IoT (3), the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) set up by Commission Decision 2002/622/EC (4), takes the view that frequency bands designated for electronic communications services (mobile networks) may be used for emerging IoT applications and services. Union-harmonised frequency bands used for the provision of terrestrial wireless broadband electronic communications services by mobile networks may therefore be an important resource for wireless IoT. The RSPG concluded that, in line with the principle of technology neutrality, the harmonised technical conditions for the use of these bands should take into account wireless IoT requirements.

(4)

On 14 July 2017, the Commission issued under Article 4(2) of the Radio Spectrum Decision a mandate to the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), a mandate to review the harmonised technical conditions for use of the 900 MHz and 1 800 MHz bands for terrestrial wireless broadband electronic communications services to also allow their use by the Internet of Things. This mandate noted in particular that, in accordance with Report 266 of the CEPT's Electronic Communications Committee, there is no need to modify the technical conditions based on the frequency division duplex mode and least restrictive technical conditions (block edge masks) in any other Union-harmonised frequency band in order to allow for IoT use.

(5)

Based on this mandate, on 13 March 2018 the CEPT presented its Report 66 (the CEPT Report) to the Commission, which identified the following wireless IoT technologies in relation to mobile broadband (i.e. cellular) communications systems, which have been recently specified by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) (5): Extended Coverage GSM IoT (EC-GSM-IoT), LTE Machine Type Communications (LTE-MTC), LTE evolved Machine Type Communications (LTE-eMTC), and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). The CEPT Report does not identify relevant wireless IoT technologies related to UMTS systems.

(6)

The aforementioned cellular IoT technologies can be deployed in three modes: (a) independently of the provision of wireless broadband electronic communications services (‘standalone’), (b) by pre-empting a portion of the resources within a frequency block used for the provision of wireless broadband electronic communications services (‘in-band’), or (c) on the side of a frequency block used for the provision of wireless broadband electronic communications services (‘guard-band’).

(7)

According to the CEPT Report, EC-GSM-IoT is an integrated part of the GSM system under Directive 87/372/EEC. It inherently has the spectrum characteristics of the GSM system and can be deployed either in-band or standalone. Therefore, EC-GSM-IoT complies with the technical conditions applicable to a GSM system without any need to amend these conditions.

(8)

As regards LTE-MTC and LTE-eMTC, the CEPT Report emphasises that these two technologies only use the in-band deployment mode, whereby the transmitter requirements are equal to or tighter than those of an LTE system. Therefore, both LTE-MTC and LTE-eMTC comply with the technical conditions applicable to an LTE system without any need of amending those conditions.

(9)

As regards NB-IoT, the CEPT Report concludes that the use of all three deployment modes, this is to say, in-band, standalone or guard-band, is possible. It recommends an amendment to the technical conditions for use of the 900 MHz and 1 800 MHz bands regarding the standalone and guard-band deployment modes.

(10)

ETSI has adopted harmonised standards in order to give presumption of conformity with Article 3(2) of Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) (‘the Radio Equipment Directive’)in order to include wireless IoT technologies in the three deployment modes.

(11)

The CEPT Report has not identified any unmanageable cross-border coordination issues between the Member States that may result from the introduction of the aforementioned wireless IoT technologies in the 900 MHz and 1 800 MHz frequency bands.

(12)

The results of the work carried out pursuant to the mandate issued to CEPT should be integrated in the Union law as soon as possible given the increasing market demand for wireless IoT applications, provided that cellular IoT use within the 900 MHz and 1 800 MHz frequency bands gives appropriate protection to existing systems in adjacent bands.

(13)

Commission Decision 2009/766/EC (7), which refers to the types of terrestrial systems which may use the 900 MHz and 1 800 MHz bands, should therefore be amended accordingly.

(14)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Radio Spectrum Committee,

(1)

in Article 2, point (a) is replaced by the following:

(2)

in Article 4, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   The 1 800 MHz band shall be designated and made available for:

(3)

the following Article 4a is added:

‘Article 4a

The 900 MHz band shall be designated and made available for EC-GSM-IoT by 30 September 2018.’;

(4)

the Annex to Decision 2009/766/EC is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.