Broadband Wireless Communications at E-Band: Capabilities and Spectrum Management Issues

1. Broadband Wireless Communications at E-Band Capabilities and Spectrum Management Issues Presented by: John A. Lovberg, Ph.D. Chief Technology Officer Loea Communications Corporation

2. 70/80 GHz Wireless Communications Ideal for Medium-haul Broadband • Rapidly Deployable • Set-up times from hours to days depending upon local facilities and terrain, providing fiber-speed digital data transfer with no trenching required • Single-hop link distance to 10 miles allows fast, easy connection to remote locations • Flexible • Interfaces to Gigabit-Ethernet (1.25 Gbps), or to Sonnet optical-carrier OC-12, OC-24, or OC-48 (622 Mbps, 1.244 Gbps, or 2.488 Gbps) • Fiber-optic input/output acts as a “virtual fiber splice” for 1310 nm (OC) or 852 nm (Gig-E) input/output wavelength • Re-configurable • Link hardware can be moved quickly and easily for optimum utility • Reliable • Operates through clouds and fog, where FSO technology fails

3. Available MMW Spectrum for Broadband Communications • 71-76 GHz – fixed point-to-point service allocation • No FCC service rules currently exist • Government co-primary, but minimal use to date • 81-86 GHz – fixed point-to-point service allocation • No FCC service rules currently exist • Government co-primary, limited current use in military communications • 92-95 GHz – FCC OET initiative • Championed by Dr. Michael Marcus since July 2000, to unleash considerable commercial utility of MMW spectrum • Government co-primary, band currently used for military radar and communications • FCC NPRM currently being drafted for all three bands

4. Higher Frequencies, Narrower Beams Alter Band Management Paradigms • Motivation for Band Management is to Allow Equitable Sharing of Airwaves as a Limited Resource • As this resource becomes unlimited (e.g. for FSO “pencil beams” at 350 THz), band regulation can be relaxed Below 5 GHz: • Omni-directional (broadcast) transmission  high spectral scarcity, resolvable through spectrum parceling only; Gives rise to band auctioning and geographical-area licensing 5 GHz – 40 GHz: • Directional (narrowcast) transmission  less spectral scarcity, resolvable through combined spectrum and spatial parceling; Motivates band segmentation Above 40 GHz: • Pencil-beam transmission  no spectral scarcity, resolvable through spatial parceling alone; Eliminates motivation for band auctioning and geographical-area licensing; Eliminates motivation for band segmentation

5. A D A C B C D B A A C C B B RELAY D D Narrow Antenna Beams Above 70 GHz Allow Unlimited Reuse of Spectrum No interference from crossed “pipes” No interference with one common terminus Midpoint relay redirects one link along alternate path Interference with both ends common (R<50)

6. RH=0% Atmospheric Attenuation Favors 70 GHz in Weather • Atmospheric attenuation in dry air (10% RH at 15°C) has local minimum at 94 GHz • In humid air, minimum moves to 71 GHz, better for reliable “medium haul” operation in weather

7. 1.25 Gbps, 72 GHz Transceiver Power Budget • 1.25 Gbps, 72 GHz Link Budget: • 72 GHz Transceiver Characteristics: Pnoise = –82 dBm (receiver noise floor, 1.6 GHz noise bandwidth) S/N = 13 dB (signal-to-noise ratio for 10-10 BER, using OOK) NF = 7 dB (receiver noise figure) Gt = 56 dB (gain of 4-foot dish TX antenna) Gr = 56 dB (gain of 4-foot dish RX antenna) 2 = –48 dBsqm (72 GHz wavelength) (4)-2 = –22 dB (constant factors) Pt = +29 dBm (TX power at proposed maximum EIRP = +55 dBW)

8. “Last-mile” Link Availability Dictated by Local Rain Rates • 1.25 Gbps, 72 GHz “Last Mile” Rain Fade Analysis: R-2 = –64.1 dB m-2 (1.61 km “last mile” range) Latm = –0.3 dB (atmospheric loss = 0.21 dB/km at 72 GHz), LH2O = –0.9 dB (water vapor loss = 0.56 dB/km at 72 GHz, for 100% RH, air temp 10C), Lfog = –5.1 dB (fog loss = 3.2 dB/km at 72 GHz, for 1 gm/m H2O, air at 10C, 50 m vis), leaving a total rain fade margin of: Lrain = –62.6 dB (rain loss to 38.9 dB/km;  F = 131 mm/hr over entire link path,  > 99.999% availability all US rain zones except extreme Southeast, > 99.996% in Southeast zone

9. Loea Link at 99.999% Availability: Range By Rainfall Region 1.8 miles 1.5 miles 1.4 miles 1.2 miles 1.7 miles 1.1 miles 0.9 miles

10. Loea Link at 99.99% Availability: Range By Rainfall Region 3.7 miles 3.0 miles 2.5 miles 2.1 miles 3.4 miles 1.7 miles 1.3 miles

11. Loea Link at 99.9% Availability: Range By Rainfall Region 8.1 miles 6.7 miles 5.6 miles 4.5 miles 8.1 miles 3.5 miles 2.6 miles

12. 8 miles 5.7 miles Renaissance 1.7 miles C.O. MRTC 1.25 Gbps Fiber DS3 Current 70 / 80 GHz Development and Regulatory Status • Technology demonstrated • 8-mile link operating at 1.25 Gbps in Maui, using 5 mW Tx power, BER < 10-12 • Loea facility (Kihei) linked to Mt. Haleakala radio tower through permanent cloudbank • FCC petition RM-10288filed by Loea in September 2001, recommending: • Fixed point-to-point licensing based upon existing part 101 provisions • Third-party frequency/path coordination • Proscription of auctions and area-licenses Trex Coating Facility • Petition subsequently put out for comment • Responses unanimously supportive, from WCA, several WCA-member companies, telecom hardware companies, telecom service companies, satellite industry • Briefings to NTIA and IRAC have also yielded positive responses • FCC Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) now in process

13. Petition for New Bands Uses Existing Regulatory Framework • New Regulations Based upon Existing Rules for Fixed Point-to-Point Microwave Services, Listed under CFR Section 47, Part 101 • Add 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz Bands, with: • Authorized Bandwidth - Part 101.109(c)– Max bandwidth: 5,000 MHz • No segmentation of either frequency band • Transmitter Power, Part 101.113(a)– Maximum EIRP: +55 dBW • Commensurate with limits on other bands > 19.7 GHz; 800 mW Tx with 4-ft dish • Antenna Gain/Beamwidth, Part 101.115(c)– Min Gain 50 dBi, Max HPBW 0.6 • Gain 12 dB higher than other bands >19.7 GHz, enables spatial-parceling paradigm • Modulation Spectral Efficiency - Part 101.141– No limits • Commensurate with other bands above 19.7 GHz • Airwave resources shared on geographical basis, not through spectrum parceling

14. Managed Path Coordination Monitors Geographical Deployment • Link registration consolidates records and tracks commercial technology build-out • Electronic filing, using simple Internet form and authorizing nominal (<$500), partially-refundable charge per link, to cover coordination and licensing fees • Form specifies new station’s GPS coordinates, height AGL, and ground elevation; Transmitter frequency, polarization, and power; Antenna gain and EIRP • Coordination procedure includes geographical mapping and charting with government access for coordinated planning • Cleared third-party coordinator maintains path database and geographical path maps (IRAC and NTIA-accessible), automatically updated with electronically-filed proposals, providing automated interference analysis based upon path proximities

15. Mapping Database Example Government Service Commercial Service

16. MMW Link Installations in Progress at Pacific Missile Range Facility KOKEE RIDGE Funded Through ONR Contract (7 miles) FIBER MAKAHA RIDGE Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands Funded Through NAVAIR Contract (12 miles) KAUAI TECH CENTER, WAIMEA Phase I Phase II