Scope and Impact on Certification

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has established regulations for Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) and Opportunistic Spectrum Management within specific "Innovation Spectrum" ranges. These regulations aim to facilitate spectrum sharing by secondary users to expand broadband access in rural and underserved communities. For manufacturers and service providers, this impact means that radio devices must be designed to communicate with a Unified Spectrum Switch (USS) to receive operational parameters dynamically, ensuring they do not interfere with primary incumbent services such as Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) and Fixed Services (FS).

Permitted Radio Bands and Technical Specifications

The regulation identifies two primary frequency ranges designated as the Innovation Spectrum (IS):

Innovation Spectrum Frequency Range 1 (ISFR 1): 3800 – 4200 MHz.

Channel Widths: 10 MHz, 20 MHz, 30 MHz, and 40 MHz.

Urban Outdoor: Maximum antenna height of 20 m AGL; maximum transmit power of 27 dBm/20 MHz EIRP per carrier.

Rural Outdoor: Maximum antenna height of 30 m AGL; maximum transmit power of 47 dBm/40 MHz EIRP per carrier.

Indoor: Maximum antenna height of 10 m AGL; maximum transmit power of 28 dBm TRP.

Innovation Spectrum Frequency Range 2 (ISFR 2): 5925 – 6425 MHz.

Channel Widths: 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and 160 MHz.

Urban Outdoor: Maximum antenna height of 20 m AGL; maximum transmit power of 30 dBm.

Rural Outdoor: Maximum antenna height of 30 m AGL; maximum transmit power of 36 dBm.

Exemptions and Restrictions

The following specific operational conditions and restrictions apply:

Licensing: Operation within ISFR 1 requires a radio frequency spectrum license. However, operation within ISFR 2 is designated as license-exempt.

Secondary Basis: All Innovation Spectrum Devices (ISDs) operate on a secondary basis and must not cause harmful interference to registered incumbents.

USS Access: Secondary users are permitted to operate exclusively through the Unified Spectrum Switch (USS). Devices must cease transmission immediately if they fail to contact the USS or if the USS indicates a channel is no longer available.

Geo-location: Master devices and certain client devices must have automatic geo-location capability with an uncertainty of no more than 100 meters at a 95% confidence level.

Conformity Assessment and Testing

All Innovation Spectrum Devices (ISDs) must be Type Approved by the Authority before deployment. The certification process involves the following:

Standard Compliance: Devices must meet the specifications outlined in their type approval certificates. Technical parameters for interference protection are based on ITU-R P.452-18 for radio propagation modeling.

Out-of-Block Emissions: Devices must ensure that out-of-block power spectral density does not exceed limits consistent with CEPT Report 088.

USS Integration: All communications between the device and the USS must comply with the latest Communication Protocol to Access Unified Spectrum Switch (CPAUSS) as defined by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Professional Installation: ISDs must be installed by a professional installer to ensure the device remains within its original technical characteristics and type-approved specifications.

Labeling Requirements

Every Innovation Spectrum Device must display a label that adheres to the requirements set forth in the Equipment Authorization Regulations, 2022, as amended. This includes the requirement for the ICASA-ID to be clearly visible and registered in the authority's Equipment Authorization Register (EAR).

Regulatory Modifications and Replacements

These regulations operate pursuant to the Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005), and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act, 2000 (Act No. 13 of 2000). They reference and require adherence to the Type Approval Regulations of 2013 and the Equipment Authorization Regulations, 2022, for certification and labeling standards. The regulations also mandate compliance with the National Radio Frequency Plan and the Astronomy Geographic Advantage (AGA) Act 21 of 2007 regarding interference protection.