Public Safety Communications Europe, together with a total of 30 other supporters including PPDR organisations, industry, and associations, has jointly approved a list of comments to the ECC (Electronic Communications Committee) draft report 239 and report 218, both of which consider the creation of harmonised conditions and spectrum bands for the implementation of future European broadband PPDR systems.

The Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) is a sub-body of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), an organisation where European policy makers and regulators collaborate to strengthen the market in the electronic communications and postal sectors. The ECC report focuses on the frequency, technology and implementation of aspects related to broadband PPDR communications and describes and evaluates the frequency for BB-PPDR.

The comments PSCE and other supporters have submitted to the ECC emphasize the importance of the 698 – 703 MHz range and its feasibility as an implementation options in the 700 MHz frequencies. Addressing the 700 MHz MFCN duplex gap, the comments highlight that cross-border coordination between PPDR and SDL may prevent the use of PPDR in border areas close to possible SDL deployments and vice versa.  Furthermore, the technical feasibility of 2 x 10 MHz terminals operating with narrow (5 MHz) duplex gap has been challenged by nearly all PPDR equipment manufacturers.

The comments acknowledge that PPDR radio-communication may pose a minimal risk of momentary interference to TV reception, particularly on channel 48, but state that the benefits to society would clearly outweigh the costs in this instance.

Lastly, the submitted comments also urge to keep in mind the economic feasibility of PPDR system deployments and to ensure that pursuits of further standardisation efforts, particularly with regard to concerns about environmental conditions, and the resulting specifications should not degrade the feasibility of product business case and create a risk for the economic feasibility of PPDR system deployments.

The ECC Report is available here.