RALI : LM 2

DATE OF EFFECT : 18/08/2016

Radiocommunications Assignment and Licensing Instruction

PAGING SERVICES

AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

SPECTRUM PLANNING AND ENGINEERING BRANCH
Amendment History
Date Comments
August 1992 Previous RALI
Consultation draft proposing raising the status of regional paging-exterior
June 2016
channels and increasing the number of primary paging-interior channels.
August 2016 Finalised RALI following consultation (IFC 17/2016)

RALI LM 2 i August 2016

 Table of Contents
1 PURPOSE........................................................................................................................................1
2 SCOPE............................................................................................................................................1
3 EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS.........................................................................................................2
4 VHF PAGING BAND CHANNEL ARRANGEMENTS.............................................................................2
4.1 CHANNEL ARRANGEMENTS NATIONWIDE PAGING-EXTERIOR SERVICES...........................................3
4.2 CHANNEL ARRANGEMENTS PAGING-INTERIOR SERVICES..............................................................3
5 COORDINATION OF PAGING-EXTERIOR SERVICES IN THE VHF PAGING BAND................................3
5.1 COORDINATION PROCEDURE.................................................................................................3
5.2 COORDINATION WITH ADJACENT BAND SERVICES.......................................................................4
5.2.1 Maximum EIRP greater 83 watts............................................................................................4
5.2.2 Maximum EIRP 83 watts........................................................................................................4
6 ASSIGNMENT OF PAGING-INTERIOR SERVICES...............................................................................4
7 LICENSING......................................................................................................................................4
8 RALI AUTHORISATION....................................................................................................................5
APPENDIX A - ASSIGNMENT MODEL.......................................................................................................6
APPENDIX B – SUMMARY OF PAGING SPECTRUM ARRANGEMENTS......................................................8
INTERIOR PAGING UTILISING INDUCTIVE LOOP SYSTEMS IN THE 24-39 KHZ BAND........................................8
INTERIOR PAGING ON HF FREQUENCIES 27.64 MHZ AND 27.67 MHZ....................................................8
INTERIOR PAGING ON FREQUENCIES 40.68 MHZ AND 40.75 MHZ INCLUDING TALKBACK...........................8
EXTERIOR PAGING ON VHF FREQUENCIES 149.7875, 149.8375 AND 149.8875 MHZ............................8
INTERIOR PAGING IN THE VHF PAGING BAND 148.00 - 149.25 MHZ.....................................................8
EXTERIOR PAGING IN THE VHF PAGING BAND 148.00 - 149.25 MHZ....................................................9
INTERIOR PAGING TALKBACK SYSTEMS ON 153.8 MHZ..........................................................................9
INTERIOR PAGING ON UHF FREQUENCIES 450.325 MHZ AND 450.375 MHZ.........................................9

RALI LM 2 August 2016

 PAGING SERVICES

1 Purpose
The purpose of this Radiocommunications Assignment and Licensing Instruction (RALI) is to
provide information on frequency coordination and licensing arrangements for exterior and
interior paging services.
The information in this document reflects the ACMA's statement of current policy in relation to
paging services including:
 Low frequency inductive loop systems operating in the band 24-39 kHz;
 Interior paging systems operating on channels 27.64, 27.67 MHz;
 Interior paging systems including talkback channels 40.68, 40.75 MHz; and 153.8 MHz;
 Interior paging systems operating in the VHF paging band 148.0-149.25 MHz;
 Exterior paging systems operating in the VHF paging band 148.0-149.25 MHz; and
 Interior paging systems operating on UHF channels 450.325 and 450.375 MHz.

In making decisions, accredited frequency assigners and the ACMA’s officers should take all
relevant factors into account and decide each case on its merits. Issues relating to this
document that appear to fall outside the enunciated policy should be referred to the Manager,
Spectrum Engineering Section, PO Box 78, Belconnen, ACT, 2616, or by e-mail to
freqplan@acma.gov.au.

2 Scope
This RALI sets out the coordination and licensing arrangements for both exterior and interior
paging services and in part represents a summaries consolidation of information available in
other documents. Additional information can be found on the ACMA website under Land
Mobile Licences – Guidelines – Paging systems1, in Part 2 of the Radiocommunications Licence
Conditions (Land Mobile Licence) Determination 20150 and in the Radiocommunications
(Paging Service Equipment) Standard 20140.
Coordination is only required for exterior paging services on the 50 channels in the VHF paging
band 148.00 MHz-149.25 MHz (Segment A of Figure 2 and Table 2 of the Frequency plan for the
VHF bands0).

Coordination is not required for interior paging services operating in a number of other bands.
Information on these systems is provide in Appendix B. These systems include:
 Low frequency inductive loop paging systems in the 24-39 kHz band that may be operated
under the Radiocommunications (Low Interference Potential Devices) Class Licence 2015 0;
 Low power interior paging services on the high frequency (HF) channels 27.64 MHz and
27.67 MHz;

1
See http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/land-mobile-licences-guidelines
0
See https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2015L00831
0
See http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Radiocomms-licensing/Class-licences/lipd-class-licence-spectrum-acma
0
See http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Spectrum-planning/About-spectrum-planning/band-plans-spectrum-planning-acma
0
See http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Radiocomms-licensing/Class-licences/lipd-class-licence-spectrum-acma

RALI LM 2 August 2016

 Low power interior paging services on the VHF channels 40.68 MHz and 40.75 MHz
including pager talkback;
 Interior paging services operating in the VHF paging band 148.00 MHz-149.25 MHz;
 The low power interior paging talkback systems operating on a frequency of 153.8 MHz;
and
 Low power interior paging on UHF channels 450.325 MHz and 450.375 MHz.

While paging-interior service transmitters operating in the VHF paging band 148.00 MHz-149.25
MHz are not coordinated, this RALI also provides advice on good engineering practices that
should be considered when assigning frequencies for these services.

3 Equipment requirements
The mandatory equipment standard for Apparatus licenced land mobile paging service
equipment in Australia is the Radiocommunications (Paging Service Equipment) Standard
20140. This standard picks up the technical requirements of AS/NZS 4769.1 and AS/NZS 4769.2.
Copies of these industry standards are available from SAI Global 0.
The Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Land Mobile) Determination 2015 also sets out
certain emissions limits and siting requirements for paging system transmitters. Electro-
magnetic exposure (EME) conditions apply0 as a condition in the Radiocommunications Licence
Conditions (Apparatus Licence) Determination 2015. Low power interior talkback transmitters
are of sufficiently low power to be excluded from additional EME restrictions.

4 VHF paging band channel arrangements

Channel arrangements for paging services in the VHF paging band 148.00-149.25 MHz are
specified in RALI MS 42 Frequency Plan for the VHF Bands 70-87.5 MHz and 148-174 MHz.
These arrangements are summarised in Table 1.

Channel Centre frequency Channel Bandwidth Remarks

Paging services-exterior are
allocated on a primary basis on all
channels except on channels
148.1625 MHz, 148.3375 MHz,
147.9875 + (n x (0.025)) MHz
25 kHz 149.1125 MHz, 149.1875 MHz
Where ‘n’ is 1 to 50
where exterior paging services are
allocated on a secondary basis and
paging-interior services are
allocated as primary.
Table 1 VHF channel arrangements

0
See http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Radiocomms-licensing/Class-licences/lipd-class-licence-spectrum-acma
0
See http://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/
0
See http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Suppliers/Regulatory-arrangements/EME-hub/transmitter-licence-conditions

RALI LM 2 2 August 2016

4.1 Channel arrangements nationwide paging-exterior services
Existing channels identified for nationwide paging services are: 148.0875 MHz, 148.5625 MHz
and 148.6375 MHz. All existing nationwide paging services will continue to be supported
including the weather information service channel 148.0875 MHz. New applications to provide
nationwide exterior paging services are subject to the following rules that:
 Applicants must have or apply for a licence covering existing or proposed transmission sites
in at least the five mainland capital cities;
 Once the channel has been assigned it will be available elsewhere, subject to normal
assignment constraints; however
 The only method of ensuring future availability at a particular site is to apply for a licence;
 Operation of transmitters at all locations must be covered by the licence.

4.2 Channel arrangements paging-interior services

Paging interior services typically operate as secondary services and there are no channel
selection requirements and no frequency coordination is typically undertaken. However
services operating on a secondary basis and may be asked to change frequency to avoid
interference to primary services.
Paging-interior services requiring primary service status must utilise one of the four designated
channels 148.1625 MHz, 148.3375 MHz, 149.1125 MHz or 149.1875 MHz.

5 Coordination of paging-exterior services in the VHF paging band

The coordination requirement are based on the assignment model set out in Appendix A of this
RALI.

5.1 Coordination Procedure

Paging-exterior service main transmitter assignments must:
 Not use a channel in use by an existing nationwide service unless a part of that service,
within 100 km of the capital cities;
 Not use the channel designed for weather information services unless a part of that service;
 Not use a channel immediately adjacent to an existing nationwide service within 100 km of
the capital cities;
 Not use a channel designated as having primary status for paging-interior services within
40 km of a paging-interior service transmitter operating on that frequency unless operated
by the same licensee;
 Be given secondary status via a licence condition if operating on a channel designated as
having primary status for interior paging services;
 Meet a minimum frequency reuse distance of 100 km to another paging-exterior
transmitter operated by another licensee;
 Not cause receiver intermodulation interference to any registered receiver within 5 km of
the proposed site;
 Not cause interference to co-sited registered receivers from third or fifth order transmitter
intermodulation products produced in conjunction with other transmitters at the site; and
 Not cause interference to co-sited registered receivers from transmitter harmonics.

RALI LM 2 3 August 2016

Intermodulation product interference
The limits and methods of Section 6.5 Intermodulation Checks of RALI LM08 should be used to
determine if the above requirements are met.
Additional requirements for operated as part of the Weather information service
Licensees operating on 148.0875 MHz, the nationwide weather information service channel
must also hold a marine rescue station licence and operate the service in conjunction with the
station covered by that licence.

5.2 Coordination with adjacent band services

Coordination with services operating beyond the band edges in the register of
radiocommunications licences is required for paging-exterior services.
5.2.1 Maximum EIRP greater 83 watts
For paging-exterior transmitters with an EIRP of greater than 83 W use the minimum separation
distances in the table below to coordinate with adjacent band services.

Frequency Offset from Minimum separation

proposed paging transmitter distance
< 6.25 kHz D = 160 km
6.25 to 2000 kHz D = (1 / fMHz) – 0.5 km
> 2000 kHz D=0

5.2.2 Maximum EIRP 83 watts

For transmitters with a maximum EIRP up to 83 W use the minimum separation distances in the
appropriate table of Section C2 (Frequency-Distance Constraints for Single Frequency LMRS in
the VHF Mid and High Bands) of RALI LM08 to coordinate adjacent band services.

6 Assignment of paging-interior services

While new paging-interior service transmitters can be assigned without coordination on a
secondary basis as mentioned above, it is good engineering practice:
 to avoid the band edge channel frequencies;
 to check that the proposed frequency is not in use within 200 m by another paging-interior
service transmitter; and
 to check there is not a paging-exterior service transmitter operating by another licensee on
the proposed frequency within 40 km of the proposed site.
New paging-interior service transmitters assigned to the four channels where the paging-
interior service has primary status must meet these requirements.

7 Licensing
Information on conditions, fees and other licensing requirements can be found in the apparatus
licence information papers on the ACMA website. For paging service stations see the mobile

RALI LM 2 4 August 2016

information paper0 and for the fixed receive station see the mobile receive information paper 0.

8 RALI Authorisation

Approved 18 August 2016

Mark Arkell
Manager
Spectrum Engineering and Space Section
Spectrum Infrastructure Branch
Australian Communications and Media Authority

0
Fixed apparatus licence information paper http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/radiofrequency-spectrum-fixed-licences.
0
Fixed receive apparatus information paper at http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/fixed-receive-licences-guidelines.

RALI LM 2 5 August 2016

Appendix A - Assignment model
Grade of service
The target grade of service of a bit error rate of 10-3 achieved 99% of the time in any 1 hour
period.

Service reliability
The target service reliability is that the target grade of service should be achieved at 90% of
locations in the total service area.

Protection ratio
A signal protection ratio of 6 dB above receiver noise level is required to achieve the target
grade of service.

Adjacent channel isolation

The available adjacent channel isolation (ACI) is 50 dB.

Transmitter Unwanted emissions limits

The assumed maximum level of discrete spurious emissions is -30 dBm.
The assumed maximum level of transmitter noise at offsets greater than 300 kHz from the
assigned frequency is -47 dBm.

These levels are assumed for existing paging-exterior transmitters however actual levels may be
lower due to equipment standards requirements. At communal sites it may be necessary to fit
additional cavity filtering to meet site requirements.

Paging-exterior service transmitters-Main transmitter

A maximum station EIRP of up to 1000 W is permitted for base station transmitters in systems
with baud rates greater than 1200 operated outside high density areas. Existing base stations
with 1000 W EIRP may continue in high density areas. The 1000 W EIRP limit is no longer
authorised inside high density areas for new assignments because of the potential impact on
use of sites and adjacent services. A maximum EIRP of up to 500 W is permitted for all other
base station transmitters.

The service area of a paging service-exterior transmitter is the area within 40 km of the main
transmitter site.

Paging-exterior service transmitters-Supplementary transmitters

All new supplementary transmitters must be located inside the service area around the main
transmitter and must not be used to extend the coverage area beyond the service area of the
main station. Supplementary transmitters are limited to a maximum EIRP of 83 W. A
supplementary transmitter must be associated with a paging-exterior service main transmitter.

Paging-interior service transmitters

Interior paging system base stations operate with a maximum EIRP of up to 8.3 W EIRP. If the
antenna of a paging-interior service transmitter is located outside of a building then a
maximum antenna height of 10 m applies. Interior paging systems may also utilise leaky feeder
antenna. In the case of leaky feeder antenna the maximum transmitter output power
RALI LM 2 August 2016
conducted into the antenna is 50 W.
The service area of a paging-interior service is the area confined within the property boundaries
of the licensee’s premises or similar restricted area.

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Appendix B – Summary of paging spectrum arrangements
Interior paging utilising inductive loop systems in the 24-39 kHz band
The operation of these low power inductive loop systems is authorised under the
Radiocommunications (Low Interference Potential Devices) Class Licence 2015 4, see item 3 All
Transmitters 20.05-48 kHz. There is no coordination required and no protection provided by
the class licence.

Interior paging on HF frequencies 27.64 MHz and 27.67 MHz

The operation of these low power systems is currently authorised under an apparatus licence
land mobile paging systems-interior. The indoor use of these low power systems means that no
coordination is required beyond the site provided the conditions of the apparatus licence for
land mobile paging system-interior are met. This is because of the low power levels used,
interior use and because the frequency adjacent channels are used by uncoordinated stations
in the 27 MHz Handphone service0.

Interior paging on frequencies 40.68 MHz and 40.75 MHz including talkback
The operation of these low power systems is currently authorised under the apparatus licence
land mobile paging systems-interior. The interior use of these low power systems means that
no coordination is required beyond the site provided the conditions of the apparatus licence for
land mobile paging system-interior are met. This is because of the low power levels used,
interior use and because the channels are over-laid by uncoordinated devices operated under
the Radiocommunications (Low Interference Potential Devices) Class Licence 2015 4, Schedule 1
item 15 All transmitters 40.66-41 MHz maximum EIRP of 1W that also covers operation of low
power interior paging talkback transmitters on these channels.

Exterior paging on VHF frequencies 149.7875, 149.8375 and 149.8875 MHz

The operation of these systems is currently authorised under the Apparatus licence land mobile
paging systems-exterior. However no new assignments on these channels is allowed as they
are outside the VHF paging band. Existing licensees may continue to operate using existing
assignments only. The 25 kHz channel bandwidth of the existing assignments may continue to
be used despite the 12.5 kHz channelling requirement for land mobile services in segment C of
the VHF High-Band. (See Figure 2, Table 2, and Note 2 to Table 2 in the Frequency Plan for the
VHF Bands).

Interior paging in the VHF paging band 148.00 - 149.25 MHz

The operation of these systems is authorised under the apparatus licence land mobile paging
systems-interior. Coordination between low power interior systems that comply with the
conditions of the apparatus licence land mobile paging systems-interior is not required.
However coordination is required between these interior paging systems and exterior paging
systems in the band where the interior paging system is proposed to be located in the service
area of an existing exterior paging system and adjacent apparatus licenced land mobile and
amateur services. See section 6.

0
See https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2015L01441

RALI LM 2 August 2016

Exterior paging in the VHF paging band 148.00 - 149.25 MHz
The operation of these systems is authorised under the apparatus licence land mobile paging
systems-exterior. Coordination is required between exterior paging systems and interior
paging systems and between external paging systems operating on channels in the band.
Coordination is also required between exterior paging services in this band and adjacent
Apparatus licenced land mobile and amateur services.

Interior paging talkback systems on 153.8 MHz

The operation of these systems is authorised under the apparatus licence land mobile paging
interior as mobile stations. While the low power interior use of these systems means that
coordination is typically not required beyond the site, the channel lies within a broader single
frequency land mobile service band and so assignments must be recorded with a no
interference no protection licence condition. The channel is located in segment G identified for
single frequency services in the VHF High band (See Figure 2, Table 2 and Note 4 to Table 2 of
the Frequency plan for the VHF bands). Paging-interior talkback transmitters operating on
153.8 MHz are limited to maximum transmitter power of 250 mW.

Interior paging on UHF frequencies 450.325 MHz and 450.375 MHz

The operation of these is authorised under the apparatus licence land mobile interior-paging.
While the low power indoor use of these systems means that coordination is not required, the
channel however lies within a general land mobile service segment (P) of the 400 MHz Plan 0
intended to support single frequency low power applications (see Note 1 of Table1) and
identified as principally for the use of the Rail industry so assignments must be recorded with a
no interference no protection licence condition.

0
See http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Spectrum-planning/About-spectrum-planning/band-plans-spectrum-planning-acma

RALI LM 2 9 August 2016