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Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 The need 1.2 Frequency bands available for the RLAN 1.3 Objective of guidelines 2 Experimental conditions of networks open to public as part of a local development project. 2.1 General experimental conditions 2.2 Technical conditions of experiments 2.3 Presentation of dossier 2.4 Results of the experiments 2.5 Processing the dossier, schedule 3 Installation of RLAN in public spaces (hotspots) for providing services to public 3.1 General conditions for the installations of RLAN terminals in public spaces 3.2 Conditions to be fulfilled when an experimental autorisation is necessary

Guidelines relating to experiments on networks open to public using the RLAN technology

1. Introduction

1.1 The need 

During the past few months, the Authority was contacted by local players wishing to encourage technical solutions as an alternative to those available in large cities, particularly in order to satisfy the high speed needs of enterprises located in areas poorly served by the telecommunication networks.

Among these technologies, those using short range radio-electric transmission systems (RLAN, also called WLAN) in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands ("WiFi") evoked a marked interest. These frequency bands, whose particularity is that they are not assigned to a specific user, are free from any fee charging. The installations using these bands operate on the basis of non-jamming and without guarantee of protection. The equipment manufacturers propose today, at least in the 2.4 GHz band, standard products that are widely sold, of low cost and relatively easy to install.

During the public consultations of the Authority, a marked interest was shown by the market for offering to users of portable terminals (computers, PDA) a high speed access in "hotspots" such as airports, railway stations, hotels, congress centres and cybercafés. Such access shall be offered by connecting the RLAN terminals to a network open to the public. The installation of RLAN terminals in public places and hotspots shall contribute to increasing the traffic in the service networks.

1.2 Frequency bands available for the RLAN

The use of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands is variable in Europe today. A certain number of countries, including France, limit the use of RLAN to private networks while others allow the use of these bands for services open to the public. The approach of the Authority forms part of the move towards the relaxing of the regulations, which is largely underway in Europe, so that France can take full advantage of the growth in this technology. The Authority has therefore notified the European Commission in July 2002 of its decisions projects for extending the present use of RLAN to public services.

In France, the concerned frequency bands are managed jointly by the Authority and the Ministry of Defence. This shared control leads to regulatory and technical limitations explained by the necessity of organising the progressive migration of the Defence Ministry equipment using the 2.4 GHz band to other frequency bands in order to allot the frequencies thus freed for civil use, including the RLAN.

When the 2.4 GHz band is released, it shall be possible to use an Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP, thereby including the antenna gain) of 100 mW on the entire band. From 2004, on the entire territory and on the entire band, the effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) authorised shall be 100 mW inside the buildings and 10 mW outside the buildings. On this date, for frequencies comprised between 2400 to 2454 MHz, the effective isotropic radiated power authorised shall be 100 mW inside and outside the buildings.

The conditions for identifying these bands for high performance RLANs has led to elimination on the interior usage of the frequency band 5150-5350 MHz. Besides, the 5470-5725 MHz frequency band is not open in France.

The Authority has oriented its action in favour of opening the RLAN to public according to two priority criteria:

- The establishments of networks open to the public as part of local development projects.

- The installation of RLAN access terminals in hotspots.

These guidelines specify the regulatory and technical framework for these new types of usage.

The Authority also desires to maintain the usages currently allowed for private networks.

These guidelines define the conditions for establishing networks open to the public, as part of local development projects in order to connect the radio-electrical installation in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, including the exterior.

These networks shall be established experimentally. They shall require the granting of experimental licenses under the article L 33-1 of the Post &Telecommunications code. The Authority shall process the application for authorisation on behalf of the Ministry. The application may be presented by physical persons or corporations subject to private or public law, when the legislative and regulatory provisions allow them to carry out such an activity. In addition, the Authority shall monitor these experiments.

These experiments shall allow testing, on a real scale, the performance of this technology in terms of service and usage, as well as the economic models that can be obtained from such projects.

The installation of RLAN in public places consists in connecting the external terminals to the network open to the public(1) . These terminals are located beyond the termination point of the network.

- As soon as the decision relaxing the use of frequency bands is taken by the Authority and approved by the Ministry in charge of telecommunications, such installations shall not require an individual authorisation(2) in the following two cases:

- The terminal is connected directly to an existing network open to the public.
- The terminal is connected to the network open to the public by an operator already authorised.

- In a certain number of cases, the installation of RLAN access terminals may require the establishment of a new network or the use of an existing private network by a player not having the operator authorisations.

The Authority desires to find a satisfactory regulating solution that is sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of the market and to allow the experiments to start rapidly. These networks can be granted an experimental authorisation for networks open to the public. It is proposed to implement a simplified procedure for processing applications for experimental licenses following the spirit of a future general authorisation system.

As soon as the applicant has supplied the required information and undertakes to conform to the decisions on the usage and allotment of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, the Authority shall forward, as soon as the application file is received, a report to the Ministry, so that it signs the authorisation order.

The RLAN terminals can also be used for making available to several users the same Internet access, when such usage does not infringe the contractual clauses linking the Internet Service Provider to his subscriber. The operators and the Internet Access Provider shall evaluate this opportunity and may adapt their commercial offers suitably, if they wish to cater for such needs.

2. Experimental conditions of networks open to the public as part of a local development project

2.1 General experimental conditions

The frequency band used by the radio-electric installation is the 2400 - 2483.5 MHz band.

The Ministry of Defence has requested that due to constraints associated with the defence and the protection of territory, the networks transmitting to the exterior should be installed respecting a protective perimeter when they are located close to a site considered sensitive.

Each project shall require an application for experimental license submitted to the Authority under article L 33-1 of the Post & Telecommunications code for establishing and operating networks open to the public. No authorisation is granted tacitly: all applications shall require an examination that shall include a consultation with the Defence Ministry, within a period of one month. The authorisations on an experimental basis can be granted for a period of 18 months. The new European guidelines are expected to be transposed into French law latest by 24 July 2003. The transposition laws shall specify the obligations of the network operators and the rules applicable to experiments. Till then the experiments shall be conducted within the framework of these guidelines.

As for the 5 Ghz band, only the band 5150-5350 MHz is open, exclusively for application inside the buildings. Thus, the 5 Ghz band is not suitable for this type of experiments.

The radio-electric installations shall use the extended spectrum technology based on the harmonised standard EN 300 328-2 of ETSI or any other standard recognised as equivalent. They shall function on the basis of non-jamming and without guarantee of protection.

The effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) transmitted by any network(3) equipment shall not exceed 10 mW on the entire 2400-2483.5 MHz band, conforming to European decisions.

All projects in Metropolitan France shall be studied case by case by the Defence Ministry, so as to prevent a too high concentration of radiated power that may cause significant disturbances of the Defence Ministry equipment.

As a result of limitation of power (EIRP), the limit of a network made up only through the RLAN technology shall be typically few hundred metres and shall not exceed a few kilometres in the best case The applicant may use the 2.4 GHz band for establishing a point to point link, provided the transmission of effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) does not exceed 100 mW. If these conditions cannot be satisfied, he has to apply for an allotment of resources in an ad hoc frequency (a dedicated microwave frequency, for example) or use a wire based technology.

The application file for authorisation shall contain technical information (Cf Appendix 1) concerning, in particular, the quality of services.

The applications for experimental authorisation shall contain

- Information relating to the applicant: his identity (name, registered office for the companies: registration in the commercial registry and copy of Kbis form, the bye-laws, the description and identification of the team, the contact details of a correspondent). If applicable, the description of existing activities and partners in the field of telecommunications, details of authorisations already granted to the applicant;

- The description of technical characteristics of the project such as: network topology with the site diagram, the characteristics and the number of each equipment, the zone covered by each terminal, the standards used, the channels used in the 2400-2483.5MHz band, the presentation of the service network and the access points of this network (Cf. Appendix 1);

- Detailed map of the network with indications of the locations of the terminals and the precise description of the coverage zone, the envisaged occupation of the public domain;

- The authorisation necessary, if applicable, for creating the installations;

- The description of services offered to users, the relevant commercial terms as well as the number and the profile of potential users;

- The information proving the technical capacity for completing the project as well as partnership envisaged;

- The financial conditions under which the project is executed, as well as the financial partnerships envisaged, the project cost as well necessary resources for financing should be justified;

- The details of commercial and institutional partnerships;

- The schedule for the deployment, commissioning and the commercial opening of the experiment.

The party receiving the authorisation shall present a report at the end of the experiment. During this report, the technical and economic aspects of the experiment shall be reviewed, alongside with the opinion of the users. The Appendix 2 lists the key trends that may be presented on this occasion.

2.5 Processing the file, schedule

The files shall be submitted to the Authority from 12th November 2002 onwards. The applications shall be processed as and when they are received by the Authority. The processing reports shall be forwarded to the Ministry in charge of telecommunications and based on them, a Ministerial Order shall be issued. If required, the Authority shall take decisions for allotting the required microwave frequencies. The Authority shall thus make it possible for the experiments to start by 1st January 2003.
The flow chart for processing the file as part of a local development project is as follows:

The files shall be submitted to the head of the Operators and Resources department of the Autorité de Régulation des télécommunications (Telecommunications Regulation Authority) 7, Square Max Hymans, 75730, Paris cedex 15 in two copies. An electronic version shall also be sent to delphine.fraboulet@art-telecom.fr.

Any applications for the allotment of frequencies shall be submitted under a specific procedure if the applicant wishes to obtain microwave resources in the frequency bands reserved for this purpose outside the 2.4 GHz frequency bands (details can be obtained from benoît.leclapart@art-telecom.fr).

The list of experiments shall be published on the web site of the Authority.

The files shall be forwarded for information to the National Agency for Frequencies when the experiment leads to the usage of frequencies with thresholds of radiated power greater than the maxima defined in the 2.4 GHz frequency allotment decisions.

3. Installation of RLAN in public spaces (hotspots) for providing services to public

3.1 General conditions for the installations of RLAN terminals in public spaces

It may be noted (Cf.1.3) that an authorisation is not necessary when the terminals are connected directly to an existing network open to public or when the networks are connected between one another and a network open to public by an operator already authorised.

Such an authorisation is however necessary when a company that does not have an operator license for networks open to the public desires to create a new access network for the purpose of connecting the terminals to one another or using an existing private network, thereby modifying its qualification under the regulations.

The Authority wishes to propose to the Ministry in charge of telecommunications that it should allot in these cases experimental authorisations for a period of 18 months, without prejudice to the provisions arising from the transposition of new European guidelines that are expected to be available latest by 24 July 2003.

The applicant shall make sure that the RLAN terminals are connected to the network under the conditions of power fixed by the decisions concerning the conditions of allotment and usage of frequencies of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (decisions No 02-1008 and No 02-1009).

Presentation and processing of dossier

The dossiers shall contain, in addition to information given in 2.3, an undertaking that the project is conforming to decisions of usage and allotment of frequencies from the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

The files shall be submitted to the head of Operators and Resources department of the Autorité de Régulation des télécommunications (Telecommunications Regulation Authority), 7, Square Max Hymans, 75730, Paris cedex 15 in two copies. An electronic version shall also be sent by e-mail to delphine.fraboulet@art-telecom.fr.

In order to allow the new operators to enter the hotspots market quickly, the Authority wishes to process these applications quickly, thus anticipating the spirit of the general authorisation system provided under the new European framework whose transposition into the French Law is expected latest by July 2003.

The experimental authorisations shall result in an order from the Ministry, in application of the article L.33-1 of the Post & Telecommunications code. The list of experimental authorisations shall be published on the website of the Authority.

APPENDIX 1: Description of the network architecture

Names of the localities served

Part of the 2.4 GHz band effectively used, channels used.

Transmission standard

Number of access servers, routers, RLAN terminals

Lambert coordinates 2E (X, Y) or longitude and latitude in degrees, mm, sec.

Omni directional antenna or azimuth and the angle of opening of the transmission antenna.

Height of the antenna above the ground

Radius of the zone of coverage for an EIRP <= 100 mW (output and the error rate shall be specified).

Characteristics of the point to point links of the terminals:

Lambert coordinates 2E or longitude and latitude in degrees, mm, sec.

Type and technical characteristics of transmission

If the link is established in the 2.4 GHz band, specify the EIRP

Output transported on the link

The operator responsible for operating the link

Service network

Presentation
Operator responsible for operating the service network
Access points to the service network
……………
Map

APPENDIX 2: Result of experiments

Review on experimental results including:

- A technical evaluation, presenting the number of users of the services, peak and average output observed per user, the traffic graphs, the measures taken by the applicant to ensure continuity of services network and the security, particularly against pirating as well as the confidentiality of communications. He shall present the user authentication, metering and billing procedures.

- An evaluation of usage for studying effective use of the resources as well as a satisfaction survey conducted among the customers and other inhabitants of the coverage zone. This survey shall evaluate the possible jamming caused by the experiment and shall be followed by a monitoring and corrective procedure.

- An economic review for evaluating the commercial conditions of the offer (number of subscribers, cost of services) as well as economic feasibility of the project.

 

APPENDIX 2: Summary table of authorised powers

The 38 departments

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1) A network "open to the public" is a network "established or used for supplying telecommunication service to the public". This definition excludes the networks reserved for a private or shared use ("independent" network)
2)(Cf Art. L.32 of the Post & Telecommunication code).
Excluding any applications for using the frequencies provided in the Appendix of the decision 02-1009
3) antenna output radiation
4) Concerns the independent networks and the hotspots
5) Concerns the experiments on networks open to public (paragraph 2 of the document)