Ra­dio ap­pli­ca­tions

What is unique about the technical regulation and standardisation of radio applications is the complex interrelation with frequency regulation. This is particularly true in view of the continuous increase in demand for wireless communications against the limited availability of usable radio spectrum resources. This means that the technical regulation and standardisation process for new radio applications needs to consider possible requirements of existing applications to be able to assess compatibility between the new and old applications. The physical propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves – which do not stop at national borders – and global market developments aimed at a flexible, worldwide usability of applications also mean that international technical regulation and standardisation activities, in particular, are becoming increasingly important.

The Bundesnetzagentur's active participation in the relevant national, European and international bodies dealing with radio applications enables new, innovative trends in the radiocommunications sector to be identified at an early stage. This assessment of trends can serve as a key working basis for frequency regulation when it comes to the next stage of assessing the technologies and – coupled with this – working out a balanced and effective use of the radio spectrum.

The wide and varied range of radio applications across the whole frequency spectrum can, generally speaking, be grouped as follows:

• mobile radio
• fixed links
• maritime radio
• aeronautical radio
• radiodetermination
• satellite communications
• broadcasting.