Global Circulation of IMT-2000 Terminals

ERC Report 60, 1999

Executive Summary

This report deals with the issue of global circulation for IMT-2000 terminal equipment. In this context global circulation is taken to mean the right of users to carry IMT-2000 terminals with them anywhere in the world and use the terminals when transmission is authorised.

Administrative arrangements necessary to facilitate the global circulation of IMT-2000 terminals are also considered. In this respect the term IMT-2000 is assumed to include all IMT-2000 family members such as UMTS. In addition, consideration is given to multimode terminals where one of the modes is not an IMT-2000 family member.

It has been said that administrative arrangements for circulation may lead to heavier regulation. This must be carefully avoided when developing arrangements for circulation. The circulation arrangements must be aimed at simplifying existing regulation, not increasing it.

One of the basic requirements of global circulation is that the terminal involved does not give rise to unacceptable interference in any country where it is taken. One possible means of achieving this is that the terminal does not transmit before it has received a signal from a valid network with which it can communicate (receive-before-transmit principle). However the report recognises that there may be other technical means of achieving the basic requirement.

A system for a global marking of IMT-2000 terminals has been considered. The benefit of a marking regime must be balanced against the potential increase in regulatory burden (such as the requirement for multiple markings). For this reason, the subject requires further consideration and further reflection on the working of other regimes.

Some possible mechanisms for global circulation are identified in this report and, in particular, the GMPCS MoU and the GSM MoU arrangements are covered in detail. Some other possible arrangements are also considered. However no single solution has been identified to resolve all the global circulation issues for IMT-2000 terminal equipment. A possible means for moving forward on the issue is identified as the formation of a policy document to be agreed by administrations, which could lead to a phased resolution of the issue. Such a policy document would have to be developed at a global level.