Sharing Spectrum UE LTE and Air-Traffic Control Radars in 800 MHz Band

Abstract

The need to ensure LTE network coverage in sparsely populated and rural areas of Europe (ITU Region 1) has led to a massive use of 800 MHz band (band 20) with its good characteristics of radio wave propagation in LTE networks. However, the frequency band of 800 MHz called “digital dividend” in Region 1 is used on a primary basis not only by the terrestrial mobile service but also by air-traffic control radars (ATCR) that can lead to the creation of harmful interferences at the receivers’ input of ATCR. Such scenarios of mutual interferences became possible after granting licenses for LTE-800 frequencies to operators in such countries as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and other CIS countries, so this problem should be solved by operators at the deployment of LTE-800 networks in airports and areas close to them. So far, for such scenarios the ITU and CEPT have not formulated criteria for interference protection. The proposed protection criteria for receivers of ATCR from user devices’ interferences of LTE-800 networks were tested by experimental studies and can provide a solution to the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problem in a complex electromagnetic environment of modern airports and cross-border coordination of 800 MHz frequency bands in Region 1.