MASTS

1. MASTS News Update Issue 1 - Quarter 1 (2001) • Welcome to the first newsletter regarding “MASTS”. You may have heard the name before but basically it is a project to procure a new technical assignment tool to licence Private Business Radio (PBR) applications. This will be the first of many newsletters updated on a quarterly basis to provide the potential users of the tool an update of the project and to keep you informed right through to roll-out. Enough of the blurb, now on to the reasons behind the project…... • There has been a need in the Radiocommunications Agency to update the channel assignment and coverage prediction tool for the licensing of PMR services. The tool is currently held within the Agency’s licensing system, RULES. The current method of assignment is rudimentary and is based on a Flat-Earth Model. • This is all about to change with the advent of the new MASTS tool. The MASTS project is now underway, which will develop a more accurate and sophisticated technical assignment tool. • The primary functions of MASTS will be as follows: • Assign Channels more effectively and efficiently; • Be responsive to increasing demand for PMR Spectrum and how it is assigned; • Provide Spectrum Quality controls; • Utilise consistent and up-to-date information on PMR spectrum usage for subsequent management and operational exploitation; • Provide improvement in the technical accuracy of frequency assignment, which should enable more PMR assignments in a given area/band; • Provide an enhanced customer service (including the possibility of providing printed evidence to justify why a channel was or was not assigned). • MASTS will make use of coverage prediction and monitoring data in the assignment process. The current method is two-dimensional and does not allow for terrain or give a feel for how good or bad the coverage will be from a particular site. Currently, a field engineer’s experience is drawn upon to assess the viability of a new site, once the initial calculation has been performed. MASTS will determine and assign the most suitable radio channel, based on he initial licensing data held by RULES (e.g. site location, transmitter power and business class). • Increased efficiency in the assignment of PMR frequencies will facilitate access to suitable frequencies for new PMR applications resultant from new technologies becoming available. The implementation of MASTS provides an opportunity to accommodate new narrow band technology, and it will help to ensure that spectrum is not under-utilised by existing technology in favour of making the under-use channels available for new technology. • MASTS would enable more advanced methods of spectrum pricing to be implemented based on predicted coverage areas. With an improved method of assignments it is envisaged that MASTS would be used to aid the Band Re-alignment project. • The new tool will also form part of the public access system scheduled for 2004, which will enable the public to complete on-line applications through the Internet and email. The MASTS Project is expected to have duration of around three years. • If you have any questions please contact Nigel Gunn (Business Project Manager) Tel: 020 7211 0348.