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Managing Radio Spectrum radio applications which provide modifications to its radio
Our standards also enable administrations to ensure connectivity capabilities (for example, adding LTE™ or
that users can use spectrum as widely as possible. We Wi-Fi modes). The framework also allows for installed radio
help the EC and the European Conference of Postal and applications to be updated, or for new applications to be
Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) to harmonise installed on the device, thus enabling RRS-compatible devices
the use of spectrum throughout the EU and beyond (usually to support future radio access technologies. Such enhanced
by producing System Reference documents (SRdocs)). In flexibility makes RRS a critical enabler for next generation
2016 we produced a set of standards for Reconfigurable Software Defined Radio and Cognitive Radio networks, since
Radio Systems (RRS) which have enabled an entire mobile it will be possible to upgrade devices with new features on a
device reconfiguration ecosystem covering technical, security regular basis.
and certification solutions. We assisted the EC in setting up a
group to integrate this new technology into the framework of However, these new capabilities bring new security
the RED. challenges. A TR on security-related use cases and threats
in RRS was therefore published in June, and followed in
We participate in CEPT, the Radio Spectrum Committee August by a TS defining the security requirements for RRS
and the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) to ensure full and identifying available and required countermeasures to
coherence between radio standardisation and the developing security threats. We began completing our previous security
policy framework. In 2016 we contributed specifically to analysis, taking into account additional use cases to produce
RSPG Opinions on Intelligent Transport Systems, the Internet revised versions of both the TR and the TS. We started
of Things (IoT) and Programme-Making and Special Events mapping existing radio access technologies to the RRS model
(PMSE). in order to identify missing security requirements and we
began to revise our two ENs on the radio reconfiguration
We continued to maintain our Technical Report (TR) which architecture and requirements for mobile devices by adding
includes detailed information on spectrum use and an new security elements.
overview of ETSI standards, reports and specifications,
together with their applications and relevant frequency Building on our work on Radio Environment Maps for
bands. intra-operator scenarios, we published a TS on the system
requirements for RRS operating in International Mobile
A dominant theme of much of our work on wireless Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) and GSM™ bands.
communications involved exploring new ways to meet
growing spectrum demand. We began to plan for new activities in the area of information
management in the heterogeneous environment, including
the possible extension of software reconfiguration
Reconfigurable Radio Systems technology to other network entities such as from mobile
RRS – intelligent radio devices which can characterise and to, for example, Mobile-Edge Computing nodes or small
act upon their environment – offer an opportunity for the cells. We made good progress with a feasibility study into
sharing of unused spectrum among multiple services and a Radio Interface Engine which will address the efficient
radio networks. RRS are thus expected to become a key acquisition and management of context information and
driver in the evolution of wireless communications. Other suitable equipment configuration in a heterogeneous
potential benefits include reconfigurable, flexible and radio environment including, for example, satellite, mobile
cost effective architectures for wireless devices and the broadband and the IoT.
exploitation of synergies between different domains.
We also began considering extending our work on LSA to
In 2016 our RRS committee (TC RRS) completed its work on vertical applications such as PMSE, eHealth, factory and
Licensed Shared Access (LSA), the technology which allows process automation and public safety, embarking on a
for the co-existence of the original incumbent with a new feasibility study into temporary spectrum access for local
cellular operator in the same frequency band. We produced high-quality wireless networks.
a Technical Specification (TS) on information elements
and protocols for the LSA1 interface, finalising our work in
response to EC Mandate M/512 on RRS.

The RED includes new features such as the use of RRS that
affect device certification which were not addressed by the
R&TTE Directive. Work progressed well in 2016 with a TS
which will define the requirements for the introduction of
dynamic recertification mechanisms for reconfigurable radio
equipment, thus supporting its reconfiguration after its initial
certification and deployment.
With the finalisation of a new multipart European Standard
(EN) on mobile device information models and protocols, we
completed the framework for mobile device reconfiguration.
This framework enables the installation on a device of

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