[12 December 2020] ICASA has updated the register of links in the self-regulated portion of the E Band.

E-Band self-coordinated register March 2020

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[16 March 2018] ICASA has updated the register of links in the self-regulated portion of the E Band.

E-Band self-coordinated-register-February 2018

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[5 September 2017] ICASA has published a first register of links in the self-regulated portion of the E Band.

E-Band self-coordinated-register-July 2017

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[29 April 2017] ICASA has published useful information on use of E-Band spectrum in South Africa in the form of a set of standard operating procedures relating to applying for licenses or self-registering links in this band.

Standard Operating Procedures for the E-Band 28 April 2017

E-Band Link Parameters Form

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[28 November 2016] The amendments to the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations 2015 allowing for use of these bands have been finalised and came into force on 22 November 2016.

Radio Frequency Spectrum Amendment Regulations 2016

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[2 August 2016] Set out below are the various submissions received in response to the Discussion Document On Use and Licensing Of E-Band and V-Band:

[20 June 2016] While this process was understood to have as its goal the amendment of the National Radio Frequency Plan (NRFP 2013) to reflect new allocations for these bands, ICASA have opted instead to include its proposals in a set of draft amendments to the Radio Regulations 2015. This is to be done through the insertion of new regulations 16A and 16B:


The E Band

16A. Channel Plans

(1) The use of the E-Band shall be as follows:

(a) The band 71 -76 GHz is paired with 81 – 86 GHz.

(b) The plan is based on 2 x 19 basic channels of 250MHz with 10GHz duplex separation and 125MHz guard channels on the band edges.

(c) The basic channels can be aggregated to form higher bandwidth channels.

(2) The E Band is segmented as follows:

(a) A self-coordination block, 73.375-75.875 GHz paired with 83.375- 85.875 GHz which shall be referred to as Block A; and

(b) A block coordinated fully licensed by the Authority, 71.125- 73.125 GHz paired with 81.125-83.125 GHz which shall be referred to as Block B.

(3) The use of Block A shall be in the following manner:

(a) The prospective user shall notify the Authority of the position and technical details of the link (s) within 30-days of link deployment. Details of what needs to be notified are contained in Annex 1.

(b) Prior to link notification, the prospective user shall perform technical assessments against a database of already registered links. The link can only be registered once it has been established that it won’t cause harmful interference to the links in the database.

(4) The use of Block B shall follow the standard application process as prescribed in the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations, 2015.

(5) The Technical parameters reflected in Annexure 3 must be complied with.

The V Band

16B. Radio Frequency Spectrum Licence Exemption

(1) The use of the V band is licence exempt provided that technical parameters reflected in Annex B are complied with.

(2) The detailed frequency coordination is not required and there are no prescribed channel arrangements.

(3) Single frequency (TDD) systems and two frequency (FDD) systems may use any channel.

(4) The radio frequency spectrum fee is not applicable.”

This proposal is in line with what industry expected, but there will now be another opportunity for interested parties to comment on the proposal (deadline for submissions being 5 August 2016). See https://www.ellipsis.co.za/radio-frequency-spectrum-regulations-2015/ for further information.

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[5 October 2015] The Discussion Document is largely technical and not easy to summarise or translate into English. Nevertheless we have tried…

Summary E-Band and V-Band Discussion Document Oct 2015
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[27 September 2015] Just to add this super-useful link:

ETSI White Paper 9 E-Band and V-Band – Survey on status of worldwide regulation (June 2015)

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[9 September 2015] ICASA has published a Discussion Document regarding the use and licensing of the band 57 – 66 GHz (V-Band) and the band 71 – 76 GHz paired with the band 81 – 86 GHz (E-Band). This is in response to requests from operators and equipment vendors for access to these bands and the need to create a regulatory framework which takes into account the specific features of these bands.

Discussion Document On Use and Licensing Of E-Band and V-Band

Submissions are due by 27 November 2015 and can be submitted by email to Mr. Mandla Samuel Mchunu: MMchunu@icasa.org.za.

It is not often we get to praise ICASA, but this process has commenced within a year of public calls being made for the regulator to intervene at a Wireless Access Providers’ Association (WAPA) Future Wireless Technology Event held in June 2015. The explicit focus of the Discussion Document on “licence exemption where feasible and light-licensing where full exemption is not feasible” is also most welcome.