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Europe
In Europe, the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive (89/336/EEC)
is the governing regulatory instrument,
however this Directive has been revised
and a
new EMC Directive, 2004/108/EC, has
been published in the Official Journal
of the European Union, L 390/24, 31
December 2004. This will replace
Directive 89/336/EEC from 20 July 2007
Some facets of the revised Directive are
better suited to the regulation of
networks. The EMC Directive is really
designed for enabling manufacturers to
place their products (apparatus) on the
market if they meet two essential
requirements:
- The electromagnetic disturbance it generates does not exceed a level allowing radio and telecommunications equipment and other apparatus to operate as intended and,
- The apparatus has an adequate level of intrinsic immunity to electromagnetic disturbance to enable it to operate as intended.
1 and 2 are sometimes referred to as egress and ingress respectively. Conformity with a standard specifying egress or ingress limits, which have been developed by a European standards body under a mandate from the European Commission, is the principal means to provide a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements. For a network, the owner or operator assumes the role of a manufacturer or importer and is responsible for ensuring that the network, conforms to the essential requirements. Indeed at the European Commission’s September 2003 EMC Working Party meeting the Chairman stated,”There is a strong responsibility (for operators and/or owners) to take preventative measures to avoid causing problems to radio users”. To facilitate the process of conformity the European Commission has initiated the preparation of a network standard containing radiation limits. In the case of a complaint of interference the owner or operator of a network may be required to demonstrate that the network meets the essential requirements and compliance with the limits contained in the relevant standards will help. The door is however left open for a Member State to take special measures in the case of a specific geographical area experiencing harmful interference; however such special measures shall be notified to the European Commission.
Until such time as the European network standard has been adopted some Member States of the European Union have adopted national standards either as an interim special measure or in accordance with the provisions of the Directive which address national standards notified to the Commission that provide a presumption of conformity with the Essential Requirements. Additional Directive issues are addressed here.
TestTech Europe’s concept of flyover network surveys will provide an operator with sufficient information to determine conformity of the whole network to applicable limits. In addition it will provide an indication of the cumulative effects of overall leakage from the network, which is important to protect aeronautical radiocommunication services or radiocommunication receivers located at locations, which have line of sight to a significant quantity of network cables and plant. In addition a flyover will also provide an operator with a very good determination of network quality. Currently such surveys are limited to the frequency band 50 – 550 MHz.
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