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Spectrum Supportability Process SSP

Spectrum Supportability 


Spectrum Supportability is the assurance that the necessary frequencies and bandwidth are available to military systems in order to maintain effective interoperability in the operational EME. The assessment of an equipment, or systems, as having “spectrum supportability" is based on, as a minimum, receipt of equipment spectrum certification (ESC), reasonable assurance of the availability of sufficient frequencies for operation, Host Nation Approval (HNA), and consideration of EMC.

  • Spectrum Supportability requires Certification by the acquiring service's Spectrum Management Office
  • Consideration of worldwide allocations and Host Nation regulations
  • Consideration of future spectrum plans
  • Feedback early in the development process
  • Collaboration between acquisition and spectrum management community to mitigate risk



DoDI 4650.01, (January 9, 2009, Change 1 (Administrative), 7 Oct 2017) Policy and Procedures for Management and Use of the Electromagnetic Spectrum 

DoD Instruction (DoDI) 4650.01 identifies DoD policy that requires that a Spectrum Supportability (SS) determination be performed by the DoD Component that is developing or acquiring spectrum-dependent (S-D) equipment or systems.  This written determination shall be completed with the concurrence of the DoD Component or Component Chief Information Officer (CIO), and state whether there is reasonable assurance of SS.  Efforts to obtain SS should be initiated as early as possible during the Technology Development Phase for spectrum dependent equipment or systems.


Spectrum Supportability Risk Assessments (SSRAs)

DoDI 4650.01 also requires system developers of spectrum dependent (S-D) systems and equipment to identify and mitigate regulatory, technical, and operational spectrum supportability (SS) and electromagnetic environmental effects (E3) risks during the development process. The instruction also requires that the resulting spectrum supportability risk assessment (SSRA) be updated to provide increasing levels of detail as the item's design matures. The SSRA constitutes the basis for milestone decision authority determinations of spectrum supportability and provides increasing levels of detail regarding a system’s regulatory, technical, and operational requirements in Initial, Detailed, and Updated SSRAs.

Click here for more information on the SSRA Guidance and information.


DD Form 1494, Request for Equipment Spectrum Certification
  • Purpose:  Ensure DoD equipment and systems are designed to conform to applicable E3 standards, international and national tables of allocated frequency bands, and other frequency guidance
  • Submission reponsibility:  Equipment program office
  • Approval Responsibility:  ESG PWG of the Joint Frequency Panel (JFP)
    • Representatives from each Service
    • Technical Support from JSC
  • Methodology:  Review technical Characteristics on DD Form 1494 for compliance is a four stage process
    •  Stage 1:  Conceptual - Initial planning complete, including proposed frequency bands
    •  Stage 2:  Experimental - Preliminary design complete, radiation using test equipment  and preliminary models may be required
    •  Stage 3:  Developmental - Major design complete and radiation required for testing
    •  Stage 4:  Operational - Development is complete and final operating constraints or restrictions required to assure compatibility need to be identified


Host Nation Coordination

Spectrum is a national resource to be managed by each country. Granting approval to transmit within a country in consideration of potential interference to local receivers are key issues at the discretion of each host nation.
Use by the DoD of U.S. commercial and military C-E systems in host nations requires coordination and negotiation including approvals and certifications.This means that the US military must request permission to use any EM spectrum dependent equipment within a host country’s borders.

The Host Nation Coordination/Approval process generally runs parallel with certification.  Without a certification, most host nation governments will not consider authorizing the use of military systems. The process is complicated in that some countries (NATO member nations for example) follow set procedures that are predictable; while others will not entertain a request for HNC unless we are requesting a frequency assignment for immediate use.  The latter makes it difficult for a developer to assess what band to use for a given application.  


The Spectrum Supportability Process will be applicable to all equipment or systems that require utilization of the electromagnetic spectrum, and will be composed of:
  • Equipment Spectrum Certification
  • Host Nation Supportability Assessment
  • Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Assessment.


Global Spectrum Issues

Ligado (formerly LightSquared) is seeking FCC approval to provide a wholesale, nationwide, wireless broadband network integrated with satellite coverage. They intend to deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide 5G network in the L-Band, adjacent to the Global Positioning System (GPS), a plan the FCC backed on April 20, 2020. The frequency band is next to the primary GPS frequency (L1).  The GPS community was concerned because testing has shown Ligado's ground-based transmissions would overpower the relatively weak GPS L1 signals from space. Although Ligado would operate in its own authorized band, the band is so close to the GPS signals that many GPS devices could pick up the stronger Ligado signals and become overloaded or saturated. FCC said the company had to protect GPS bands from interference, including requiring Ligado to have "significant" 23 Mhz guardbands in its own spectrum to separate its transmissions from neighboring satellite GPS operations, as well as limiting the power levels to its base stations and respond to entities that had experienced interference.  There is also concern that millions of existing GPS users could be forced to upgrade their devices and/or accept GPS performance losses to accommodate the new network. 

https://gcn.com/articles/2020/05/08/dod-spectrum-ligado.aspx

ITU global standard for international mobile telecommunications

For the last 20 years, ITU has been coordinating efforts of government and industry and private sector in the development of a global broadband multimedia international mobile telecommunication system, known as IMT. Since 2000, the world has seen the introduction of the first family of standards derived from the IMT concept. Since May 2007, there are more than 1 billion IMT-2000 subscribers in the world!

´IMT-Advanced´ provides a global platform on which to build the next generations of mobile services - fast data access, unified messaging and broadband multimedia - in the form of exciting new interactive services.

GPS Modernization with New Civil Signals

A major focus of the GPS modernization program is the addition of new navigation signals to the satellite constellation. The new signals are phasing in incrementally as the Air Force launches new GPS satellites to replace older ones.  There are four GPS signal specifications designed for civilian use. In order of date of introduction, these are: L1 C/A, L2C, L5 and L1C.[1] L1 C/A is also called the legacy signal and is broadcast by all currently operational satellites. L2C, L5 and L1C are modernized signals, are only broadcast by newer satellites (or not yet at all), and as of January 2021, none are yet considered to be fully operational for civilian use.  Most of the new signals will be of limited use until they are broadcast from 18 to 24 satellites.  In addition, there are restricted signals with published frequencies and chip rates but encrypted coding intended to be used only by authorized parties.


Roles and Responsibilities


2021 Spectrum Repurposing Report  (December 2020)


Spectrum Repurposing (For 2019 - Opens new page)



NTIA Letter to FCC on Proposed Updated Rules for Short-range Radars in the 60 GHz Band

Docket Number:  ET Docket No. 21-264
Date:  June 29, 2022
NTIA letter to FCC which provides notice that sufficient analysis has been done such that NTIA would have no objection to the Commission proceeding with the adoption of proposed rules for short-range radars in the 60 GHz band.





The 5G Challange - NTIA




Links

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Spectrum Tools

DD Form 1494 Process       

NTIA Redbook        

Spectrum Dashboard




For questions regarding any of the information located in the Spectrum and E3 Compliance CoP, please contact the Joint Spectrum Center at: [email protected]




Community
Spectrum and E3 Compliance