The Wireless Telegraphy (Mobile Repeater) (Exemption) Regulations 2022

PART 2 Mobile repeater devices for indoor use

Scope of exemption for indoor use

4.  The establishment, installation, or use of a mobile repeater device is exempt from the provisions of section 8(1) of the Act if—

(a) that device complies with the terms, provisions, and limitations specified in regulations 5 to 12(1); or if

(b) that device complies with the terms, provisions, and limitations specified in regulations 5 to 8 and regulations 13 to 17(2).

Terms, provisions and limitations for all mobile repeater devices

Limitations on transmissions

5.—(1) The mobile repeater device must only be established, installed, and used where the transmissions it makes on downlink frequencies are made indoors.

(2) The mobile repeater device may only amplify signals carried over the downlink frequencies and the uplink frequencies.

Prohibition on undue interference

6.  The establishment, installation, and use of the mobile repeater device must not cause or contribute to undue interference to other users of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Anti-oscillation requirements

7.—(1) The mobile repeater device must—

a)

automatically detect any oscillations it makes; and

b)

use an anti-oscillation technique, in accordance with paragraphs (4) and (5), where it detects any such oscillations.

(2) Any oscillations in the uplink frequencies must be detected within 0.3 seconds.

(3) Any oscillations in the downlink frequencies must be detected within one second.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), if the mobile repeater device detects any oscillations, it must use an anti-oscillation technique which stops those oscillations and continues for at least one minute.

(5) If an anti-oscillation technique has been used on five occasions in accordance with paragraph (4), and the mobile repeater device subsequently detects further oscillations, it must cease transmitting.

(6) A mobile repeater device which has ceased transmitting in accordance with paragraph (5) must only resume operation if it has been manually reset.

(7) For the purpose of this regulation, a mobile repeater device makes oscillations when the transmissions made by the mobile repeater device are received and subsequently re-amplified by that device, resulting in a fluctuation in the transmit power of that device (either in the frequency band being amplified or in another frequency band).

System noise figure limit

8.—(1) The system noise emanating from the mobile repeater device shall not exceed a system noise figure of 7 dB.

(2) For the purpose of this regulation—

(a) “system noise figure” means the difference between (i) the noise power measured at the output port of the mobile repeater device, and (ii) the noise power which would be present at the output port of that device if the only source of noise from that device were thermal noise (which difference shall be expressed in dB); and

(b) “thermal noise” means the noise power from a mobile repeater device due to the thermal agitation of charge carriers within that device at room temperature, which noise occurs even if the mobile repeater device is not amplifying any signals.

Additional terms, provisions and limitations for provider-specific mobile repeater devices

Frequencies to be amplified

9.  Where the mobile repeater device amplifies signals carried by a mobile network operator over an LTE system or a WiMAX system, it must also amplify signals carried by that mobile network operator over a GSM system or a UMTS system.

Automatic standby requirement

10.—(1) Where the mobile repeater device does not serve an active connection between a mobile device operating on the network of a particular mobile network operator and that particular mobile network for five minutes or more, it must ensure that any transmissions it makes on the uplink frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator comply with the limit in paragraph (2).

(2) The transmissions, when measured in any direction, must have an uplink noise power which does not exceed -70 dBm/MHz e.i.r.p.

Power limits

11.  The mobile repeater device may only emit transmissions on frequencies licensed to a mobile network operator which—

(a) in the frequency band 703-733 MHz or 832-862 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have an e.i.r.p. no greater than 23 dBm;

(b) in the frequency band 880-915 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have—

(i) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a GSM system no greater than 33 dBm;

(ii) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a UMTS system no greater than 24 dBm; and

(iii) an e.i.r.p, where those transmissions are carried over a terrestrial electronic communications network that is not a GSM system or UMTS system, no greater than 23 dBm;

(c) in the frequency band 1710-1785 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have—

(i) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a GSM system no greater than 30 dBm;

(ii) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a UMTS system no greater than 24 dBm; and

(iii) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a terrestrial electronic communications network that is not a GSM system or UMTS system, no greater than 23 dBm;

(d) in the frequency band 1920-1980 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have an e.i.r.p. no greater than 24 dBm;

(e) in the frequency band 758-788 MHz or 791-821 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have—

(i) an e.i.r.p. no greater than 17 dBm; and

(ii) a power spectral density no greater than 10 dBm/5 MHz;

(f) in the frequency band 925-960 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have—

(i) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a GSM system no greater than 10 dBm;

(ii) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a terrestrial electronic communications network that is not a GSM system, no greater than 17 dBm; and

(iii) a power spectral density, where those transmissions are carried over a terrestrial electronic communications network that is not a GSM system, no greater than 10 dBm/5 MHz;

(g) in the frequency band 1805-1880 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have—

(i) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a GSM system no greater than 10 dBm;

(ii) an e.i.r.p. where those transmissions are carried over a terrestrial electronic communications network that is not a GSM system, no greater than 17 dBm; and

(iii) a power spectral density, where those transmissions are carried over a terrestrial electronic communications network that is not a GSM system, no greater than 10 dBm/5 MHz; and

(h) in the frequency band 2110-2170 MHz, when measured in any direction and in respect of the frequencies licensed to that mobile network operator only, have—

(i) an e.i.r.p. no greater than 17 dBm; and

(ii) a power spectral density no greater than 10 dBm/5 MHz.

System gain limits

12.—(1) Where the mobile repeater device emits transmissions on frequencies licensed to one mobile network operator only, the uplink and downlink system gain must not exceed the limit in paragraph (3) where the uplink and downlink system gain is measured for each of the frequency bands being transmitted.

(2) Where the mobile repeater device emits transmissions on frequencies licensed to more than one mobile network operator within a particular frequency band, the uplink and downlink system gain must not exceed the limit in paragraph (3) where the uplink and downlink system gain is measured separately for the frequencies licensed to each mobile network operator within that band that are being transmitted.

(3) The uplink and downlink system gain must not exceed whichever is the smaller of—

a)

100 dB; and

b)

BSCL – 30 dB.

(4) Where the mobile repeater device cannot determine the BSCL for a particular frequency band or for the frequencies licensed to a particular mobile network operator, it shall not make any transmissions on that frequency band or those frequencies (as applicable).

(5) In this regulation, “BSCL” means base station coupling loss, which is the difference between (i) the power transmitted by the base station (which may be determined from the system information messages sent by that base station on its control channels) and (ii) the power received by the mobile repeater device from the base station (which difference shall be measured in dB).

Additional terms, provisions and limitations for multi-operator mobile repeater devices

Frequencies that must be amplified

13.  The mobile repeater device must emit transmissions on all of the following frequencies—

a)

880 – 915 MHz;

b)

925 – 960 MHz;

c)

1710 – 1785 MHz;

d)

1805 – 1880 MHz;

e)

1920 – 1980 MHz; and

f)

2110 – 2170 MHz.

Automatic standby requirement

14.—(1) Where the mobile repeater device does not serve an active connection between a mobile device and a mobile network for five minutes or more, it must ensure that any transmissions it makes using the uplink frequencies comply with the limit in paragraph (2).

(2) The transmissions, when measured in any direction, must have an uplink noise power which does not exceed -70 dBm/MHz e.i.r.p.

Limits on power spectral density

15.—(1) The mobile repeater device may only emit transmissions on uplink frequencies in a particular frequency band which, when measured in any direction, have a power spectral density no greater than 17 dBm/5 MHz.

(2) The mobile repeater device may only emit transmissions on downlink frequencies in a particular frequency band which, when measured in any direction, have a power spectral density no greater than 10 dBm/5 MHz.

System gain limits

16.—(1) When measured separately for each of the frequency bands being transmitted—

(a) the uplink and downlink system gain must not exceed whichever is the smaller of—

(i) 100 dB; and

(ii) 10 dB – RSSI; and

(b) the uplink and downlink system gain must be equal.

(2) In this regulation, “RSSI” means received signal strength indicator, which is the total downlink signal power received at the donor port of the mobile repeater device, for all base stations in the frequency band being transmitted (and which shall be measured in dBm).

Limit on transmitted intermodulation products

17.—(1) For each frequency band that is being transmitted by the mobile repeater device, the power level of transmitted intermodulation products due to input signals within that frequency band shall not exceed −19dBm at the donor port and coverage port of that device.

(2) In this regulation, “transmitted intermodulation products” due to input signals within a frequency band means any signals transmitted by the mobile repeater device within that frequency band which have been created from the non-linear combination of two or more input signals within that frequency band.

(1)

Such a device is known as a provider-specific mobile repeater device.

(2)

Such a device is known as a multi-operator mobile repeater device.