Title: Towards more spectrally efficient frequency assignment for microwave fixed links

Authors: Ian Flood, David Bacon

Addresses: Office of Communications (Ofcom), Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA, UK. ' Office of Communications (Ofcom), Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA, UK

Abstract: Due to an increasing demand for access to fixed links spectrum, Ofcom engineers have considered a number of ideas that would enable higher spectral utilisation in point-topoint link deployment through various adjustments to the present frequency-assignment method. It is expected that moving from a noise-limited towards an interference-limited assignment criteria results in the use of less spectrum for a specific deployment of links and simulated reassignment of links has quantified this. Some initial changes to the assignment criteria have been implemented and further changes are being considered. A radically new approach based on joint signal-level probability distributions is discussed.

Keywords: microwave fixed links; frequency assignment criteria; wanted-to-unwanted ratios; W/U ratios; net filter discrimination; noise/interference budgets; mobile networks; spectral utilisation; interference-limited assignment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMNDI.2006.010815

International Journal of Mobile Network Design and Innovation, 2006 Vol.1 No.2, pp.147 - 152

Published online: 05 Sep 2006 *

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