New spectrum allocations for radio ID tags
New spectrum allocations for radio ID tags, smart metering networks
Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce today announced the government will be making more radio spectrum available for new and emerging commercial technologies.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems such as those used in supply chain management and radio mesh networks used for smart metering will both benefit from the changes.
Mr Joyce says RFID and smart meters are technologies that can deliver significant benefits to New Zealand industry from productivity gains.
“Allocating more spectrum for these technologies will make it cheaper to deploy systems using them, and will encourage uptake.”
The decisions follow a Ministry of Economic Development review of spectrum use in the 806-960 MHz, band and consultation with industry. The other key outcome is provision of more spectrum for use in linking radio broadcast studios to transmitter sites. This will ease congestion the radio broadcasters are experiencing with frequency availability in the main cities.
The changes will be phased in over different timeframes to allow existing users of affected spectrum to transition to a different frequency. An immediate change is to allow higher power short-range devices in the 921.5928 MHz frequency range. This meets existing demand for RFID use in particular.
A full list of the changes and the Ministry of Economic Development’s report on the project is available at www.rsm.govt.nz .
Question and answers
1. What is RFID?
RFID stands for radio
frequency identification. RFID is a system where readers
capture data from tags and transmit it to a computer system.
Examples of this are toll systems (where a vehicle with an
RFID tag passes a reader and the toll is deducted) and
inventory management systems. In the UHF spectrum (of which
806-960 MHz is a part), higher power RFID devices are useful
for gateway-type applications or where accurate reads at a
distance are needed, e.g., case, pallet, and shipping
container tracking.
2. What are radio mesh
networks? 3. What
are studio-to-transmitter links? 4. Why
has the government reviewed this radio spectrum
band? 5.
Who will be affected by these changes? 6. What changes
will be implemented, when? Following a
five-year transition period, additional changes will
be: ENDS
A radio mesh network is a communications
network
A studio-to-transmitter
link is a one-way link between a radio broadcast studio,
where the programme is made, and the transmitter that
broadcasts the programme. Radio studios use the link to
transport their programmes to the transmitter.
There was an opportunity for allocating unused
spectrum in the range 841849 MHz, which came about after
some cellular spectrum in the band was swapped around.
The industries
most affected are radio broadcasting, logistics and supply
chain management, and utility metering.
Immediate changes are:
•
841-849 MHz – allocate for studio-to-transmitter links
[currently unused]
• 868-870 MHz – allow
low-power short-range devices (2 milliwatts) [to operate on
a non-interference basis with existing use by land mobile
radio in 868-869 MHz]
• 921.5 – 928 MHz –
allow higher power short-range devices (includes RFID) to
operate with a peak power of 4 watts [currently restricted
to 1 watt]
• 928-929 MHz – allocate for
studio-to-transmitter links [currently allocated for
short-range devices and radio amateurs].
• 915-921 MHz – allow short-range devices
(up to 1 watt) and radio amateurs [currently used for
studio-to-transmitter links]
• 920-921.5 MHz
– more frequencies for higher power short-range devices to
operate with a peak power of 4
watts.