This page includes information about on-going correspondence activities in WGFM:
- Note that WGFM#83 (May 2015) closed the correspondence activities on ICARUS and 450 MHz. The correspondence group M2M is closed after ECC#40 (30 June - 3 July 2015) taking into account the result of ECC#40, in particular a CEPT/ECC workshop on M2M, tentatively scheduled on 21-22 March 2016 in Mainz, Germany. The correspondence groups an Maritime Broadband Radiolinks and M2M via Satellite were closed in May 2017.
Spectrum requirements for drones (started at WGFM#82 – February 2015)
The ECC noted the importance of a close relationship with ADCO. Three areas were particularly noted, whereas one out of these was: ADCO envisages a campaign on remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS). Several ECC administrations confirmed the interest for such campaign. In addition, WG FM was task to investigate whether any action in relation with spectrum regulation for RPAS/UAS is necessary.
Invited by the Austrian Administration Mr. Franco Fresolone from the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) held a presentation (INFO 005) concerning the first assumptions and considerations on the spectrum requirements for RPAS for commercial purposes. The presented requirements were based on the scenarios of the EU funded project “AEROCEPTOR” that includes the control of the RPAS and possible payloads for up- and downlink.
The presentation triggered a lively discussion about related technical and regulatory aspects.
Whilst some administrations saw a benefit in investigating whether there is a need to deal with the issue on CEPT level at an early stage, were others more cautious.
However, it became clear that in a first step further clarification is needed which questions exactly have to be answered. Since various services/applications seem to be affected, and no dedicated Project Team on RPAS exists within WG FM, WG FM agreed to establish a correspondence group.
The correspondence activity is under the lead of Mr Florian Cziczatka (AUT), email: [email protected], shall collect information (inter alia: application and use cases with focus on commercial use, demarcation to military/governmental uses, air traffic control regulation, Research activities), also by contacting e.g. CEPT PTs, ADCO and other as necessary; propose a possible way forward to the next WG FM meeting.
WGFM#83 agreed a questionnaire to CEPT administrations and stakeholders on this subject, see https://www.cept.org/ecc/tools-and-services/ecc-questionnaires.
The reflector [email protected] was established for these correspondence activities. In order to contribute to this activity WG FM participants are invited to subscribe to the respective reflector: [email protected]?subject=Subscribe
WG FM, at its meeting in February 2016 had supported the initial assessment of the responses to the questionnaire on drones as provided by its correspondence group. WG FM had also agreed to develop an ECC Report reflecting the results and the assessments of the responses to the questionnaire as well as any additional information on this issue.
The draft ECC Report 268 has been approved for publication in February 2018. In addition, an explanatory document related to non-professional UAS use under general authorisations was approved by WG FM which is also referred to in the introduction of ERC Recommendation 70.03 for SRD.
A CEPT Workshop took place on the 29-30 May 2018 in Copenhagen on 'Spectrum for Drones- UAS'. Programme, speaker information , a summary, presentation and photos are available under the link. The next meetings of the WG FM Correspondence Group Drones are on 19 June 2018 (web-meeting) and on 29-30 August 2018 (physical meeting in Prague, Czech Republic) where the results of the CEPT workshop will be discussed.
The contact person for additional information and for the email group is: [email protected]
