Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005)ICASARadiocommunication Frequency Migration Plan 2019Part 2 : Radio Frequency Migration Plan 20195. Potential Impact of Spectrum Migration |
5.1 | Bands planned for IMT |
One of the critical issues under public debate in South Africa is the availability of spectrum for mobile broadband wireless access. The total of 649 MHz of spectrum is made available for IMT following SADC FAP proposed common sub-allocation and WRC resolutions, as indicated in the following table.
Table 3 Bands planned for IMT
Frequency Band (MHz) |
Bandwidth (MHz) |
Current Allocation |
Notes |
450 – 470 |
20 |
FIXED, MOBILE 5.286AA NF9 |
Enabled for IMT as per WRC-7, Res. 224 applies |
694 – 792 |
98 |
MOBILE except aeronautical mobile 5.312A 5.317A NF9 BROADCASTING 5.300 5.311A 5.312 NF8A |
Enabled for IMT as per WRC-12, Res. 232 – Digital Dividend 2 |
790 – 862 |
72 |
FIXED MOBILE except aeronautical mobile 5.316B 5.317A NF9 BROADCASTING 5.312 5.319 NF8A |
Enabled for IMT as per WRC-7, planned for 2015 – Digital Dividend 1 |
862 – 876 |
14 |
FIXED MOBILE except aeronautical mobile 5.317A NF10 |
Enabled for IMT as per SADC FAP proposed common suballocation/utilization |
1880 – 1920 |
40 |
FIXED MOBILE 5.384A 5.388A NF9 |
Enabled for IMT as per SADC FAP proposed common suballocation/utilization |
2010 – 2025 |
15 |
FIXED MOBILE 5.388A NF9 |
Enabled for IMT as per SADC FAP proposed common suballocation/utilization |
2500 – 2690 |
190 |
MOBILE except aeronautical mobile 5.384A NF9 Radio astronomy |
Enabled for IMT as per SADC FAP proposed common suballocation/utilization |
3400 – 3600 |
200 |
FIXED MOBILE 5.430A NF9 |
Enabled for IMT as per WRC-07, effective Nov. 2010 |
This does not include the frequency already allocated and assigned to GSM / UMTS.
5.2 | Frequency Migration Resolutions resulting from WRC 15 |
The following Resolutions were considered to be included in the Frequency Migration Plan 2019.
Table 4 WRC resolutions
Frequency Band (MHz) |
WRC |
Res. / Rec. |
Footnote |
Resolution / Footnote |
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5.3515 - 5 3665 |
15 |
|
5.133B |
|
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108 - 117.975 |
12 |
413 |
|
|
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450 – 470 |
7 |
224 |
|
|
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694 – 790 |
12 |
232 |
|
|
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790 – 862 |
12 |
224 |
|
|
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1 452-1 492 |
15 |
223, 750 & 761 |
5.346 |
|
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960 – 1164 |
12 |
417 |
|
|
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1518 - 1544 1545 - 1559 1610 - 1626.5 1626.5 - 1645.5 1646.5 - 1660.5 1668 - 1675 2483.5 - 2500 |
12 |
225 |
|
|
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1525 – 1559/ 1626.5 – 1660.5 |
12 |
222 |
|
|
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161.9375 -161.9625 |
15 |
|
5.228AA |
|
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161.9875-162.0125 MHz |
15 |
|
5.228AA |
|
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173.7 – 175.1 |
|
|
NF5 |
|
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403-406 MHz |
15 |
205 |
5.265 |
|
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406-406.1 |
15 |
205 |
5.265 |
|
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406.1-410 MHz |
15 |
205 |
5.265 |
|
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410-420 MHz |
15 |
|
5.268 |
|
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432-438 MHz |
15 |
|
5.279A |
|
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450-455 MHz |
15 |
224 |
5.286AA |
|
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455-456 MHz |
15 |
224 |
5.286AA |
|
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456-459 MHz |
15 |
224 |
5.286AA |
|
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456-459 MHz |
15 |
224 |
5.287 |
|
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459-460 MHz |
15 |
224 |
5.286AA |
|
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460-470 MHz |
15 |
224 |
5.286AA |
|
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|
|
|
26. |
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470-694 MHz |
15 |
760 |
5.296 |
|
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694 – 790 MHz |
15 |
224, 760 |
5.312A, 5.317A |
|
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790 – 862 MHz |
15 |
224, 749 |
5.312A, 5.317A |
|
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862-890 MHz |
15 |
224, 760 & 749 |
5.317A |
|
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960-1 164 MHz |
15 |
417 |
5.327A, 5.328 |
|
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1 350-1 400 MHz |
15 |
750 |
|
|
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1 427-1 429 MHz |
15 |
223 |
5,341A |
|
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1 452-1 492 MHz |
15 |
223, 739, 761 |
5.346, 5.208B |
|
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1 492-1 518 MHz |
15 |
223 |
5.341A |
|
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1 525-1 530 MHz |
15 |
739 |
5.208B |
|
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1 530-1 535 MHz |
15 |
739 |
5.208B |
|
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1 535-1 559 MHz |
15 |
739 |
5.208B |
|
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1 559-1 610 MHz |
15 |
739 |
5.208B |
|
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1 613.8-1 626.5 MHz |
15 |
739 |
5.208B |
|
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1 710-1 930 MHz |
15 |
223, 212 |
5.384A, 5.388 |
|
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1885 – 2025/ 2100 - 2200 |
07 |
212 |
|
|
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1 930-1 970 MHz |
15 |
223, 212 |
5.388 |
|
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1970-1980 MHz |
15 |
223, 212 |
5.388 |
|
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1980-2010 MHz |
15 |
223, 212 |
5.388 |
|
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2010-2025 MHz |
15 |
223, 212 |
5.388 |
|
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2110-2120 MHz |
15 |
223, 212 |
5.388 |
|
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2120-2160 MHz |
15 |
223, 212 |
5.388 |
|
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2160-2170 MHz |
15 |
223 212 |
5.388 |
|
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2170-2200 MHz |
15 |
223 212 |
|
|
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2200-2290 MHz |
97 |
622 |
5.391 |
|
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2300 – 2400 |
12 |
223 |
|
|
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3300-3400 MHz |
15 |
223 |
5.429A, 5.429B |
|
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3400-3600 MHz |
2004 |
|
5.430A |
|
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4200-4400 MHz |
15 |
424 |
5.436, 5.437 |
|
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5010-5030 MHz |
15 |
741 |
5.443B |
|
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5030-5091 MHz |
15 |
114 |
5.444 |
|
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5091-5150 MHz |
15 |
114 |
5.444A, 5.444 |
|
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5150 – 5250/ 5250 – 5350/ 5470 – 5725 |
12, Rev.15 |
229 |
5.446 |
|
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5250-5255 MHz |
|
229, |
5.447F |
|
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5470-5570 MHz |
15 |
229 |
5.450A |
|
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5 725-5 830 MHz |
15 |
762 |
5.150 |
|
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5925-6700 MHz |
03, rev.15 |
902 |
5.457A |
|
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7 300-7 375 MHz |
15 |
|
5.461 |
|
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7 375-7 450 MHz |
15 |
|
5.461AA 5.461AB |
|
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7 450-7 550 MHz |
15 |
|
5.461AA 5.461AB |
|
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7 550-7 750 MHz |
15 |
|
5.461AA 5.461AB |
|
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9 200-9 300 MHz |
15 |
|
5.474A 5.474B 5.474C |
|
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9900-10 000 MHz |
15 |
|
5.474A 5.474B 5.474C |
|
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10-10.4 GHz |
15 |
|
5.474D 5.479 |
|
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10.7-10.95 GHz |
15 |
|
5.441 |
|
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10.95-11.2 GHz |
15 |
155 |
5.484A 5.484B |
|
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11.2-11.45 GHz |
15 |
|
5.441 |
|
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11.45-11.7 GHz |
15 |
Rec.F387 |
|
|
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13.4-13.65 GHz |
15 |
902 |
|
|
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14-14.25 GHz |
15 |
902 |
|
|
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14.25-14.3 GHz |
15 |
902 |
|
|
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14.47-14.5 GHz |
15 |
902 |
|
|
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14.5-14.75 GHz |
15 |
|
163, |
|
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15400 – 15700 |
07 |
614 |
|
|
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21.4-22 GHz |
15 |
739 |
5.208B, 5.530A |
|
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22.550 – 23.150 GHz |
07 |
753 |
|
|
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25.5-27 GHz |
15 |
F.748 |
5.536B |
|
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27.5-28.5 GHz |
17 |
143 |
|
|
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29.1-29.5 GHz |
15 |
143 |
|
|
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31-31.3 GHz |
15 |
07 |
5.149 |
|
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42.5-43.5 GHz |
15 |
S.1586-1 RA.1631-0 |
5.551H |
|
5.3 | Other Migration issues |
The table below summarises other migration issues that have been highlighted.
Table 5 Summary of migration issues
Frequency Band (MHz) |
Current Allocation |
Proposed Allocation |
Notes |
380 – 400 |
Public Safety (SAPS, DoD etc.) |
Public Safety only |
Consolidate all public safety related services in this band; move other users out of the band |
410 – 430 |
Government services, Mobile Data and Trunking |
Digital Trunking only |
Reserve for Digital Trunking use only; migrate mobile data, ESKOM, SAPS out of the band |
440 – 450 |
Short range business radio/ PMR/ other links |
Short Range Business Radio, PMR only |
Should be cleared of all other users; Communal repeaters can be allocated in this band |
450 – 470 |
FIXED, MOBILE |
IMT |
Should be cleared of all other users |
694 – 790 & 790-862 |
BROADCAST |
IMT |
Studio Links need to be migrated out to enable efficient allocation for IMT. Self Help stations need to migrate to below 694 MHz Frequency band 694 to 862 MHz to be cleared from analogue and digital broadcast services for implementation of IMT |
921 – 925 paired with 876 - 880 |
GSM-R |
Originally allocated by SABRE 1 for digital trunking – currently unused |
|
1350 – 1375 paired with 1492 – 1517 |
Shared duplex band |
BFWA |
Could be a consideration for rural BFWA |
1375 – 1400 paired with 1427 – 1452 |
Shared duplex band |
BFWA |
Could be a consideration for rural BFWA |
2025 – 2110 paired with 2200 – 2285 |
Fixed links (DF) |
BFWA |
Fixed links currently underutilized |
3600 – 4200 |
Satellite (VSAT, downlink), Terrestrial backhaul |
3600 – 3800 MHz BFWA 3600 – 4200 MHz PTP and FSS |
Sharing Criteria to be developed between BFWA and FS PTP and/or FSS where feasible. |
5850 – 6425 |
Fixed/ Satellite uplinks |
Fixed/ Satellite uplink/ Outside Broadcast links |
Migrate outside-broadcast from 2300 – 2450 MHz into upper C band |
40000 and above |
Allocate for PTP links |
For local high-speed PTP data links (up to 5 km) |