Sshhh! Boollardy's radio quiet zone
Written by Chris Thomas
Changes to the Mid West Radio Quiet Zone (RQZ) near Boolardy Station, about 200km east of Meekatharra, have been introduced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to enhance radio astronomy work in the area.
Using extremely sensitive radio antennas to detect very faint radio signals of cosmic origin, radio astronomy is highly susceptible to interference by unwanted emissions from other radio communication services in nearby and some distant spectrum bands.
The Mid West RQZ was first established by ACMA in 2005 because of the area’s low levels of radio frequency energy, due to the remote location and low population.
It protects radio telescopes at the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory from unwanted radio communication signals.
ACMA’s new measures introduced in July are to provide greater clarity and certainty to the arrangements that protect radio astronomy services in the RQZ, as well as those proposed in the Australian – New Zealand bid to host the $1.9 billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
Within ACMA’s new regulations are a frequency band plan, coordination arrangements and new licence conditions, which state:
• Class licensed services should not cause harmful interference to other radio communications services, including the radio astronomy services in the RQZ. ACMA has amended three class licences to include explicit conditions protecting the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory.
• Under the band plan, licence applicants in the RQZ are required to consult with the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory before applying to ACMA for an apparatus licence, negotiating relevant technical arrangements.
• Spectrum licences granted in areas around the RQZ will be designed to prevent harmful interference to radio astronomy services at the site. (ACMA will exclude the proposed SKA site from all new spectrum licences granted nationally).
Within the band plan, radio astronomy services are the primary service within 70km of the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory with all other services deemed secondary.
A new outer zone, 70km to 150km from the observatory, has been established where no service is granted primary status and all licence considerations will be considered in relation to the spectrum plan.
These inner and outer zones apply to the frequency range 70 MHz to 25.25 GHz.
ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said the new protection measures would not significantly change the nature of spectrum access and radio quiet arrangements in the Mid West RQZ.
“The new measures continue to provide for radio quiet while supporting the use of the spectrum by other users and placing the lowest feasible burden on industry in the region,” he says.
“A clear regulatory framework to support radio quiet arrangements will further assist Australia to create the world’s best radio astronomy facility.”
ACMA consulted various stakeholders before adopting the new regulations and a memorandum of understanding was negotiated between the State and Federal Government to provide clarity on consultation for spectrum access in the RQZ.
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