Norway :- Growing drone use could interfere with radio spectrum

Norwegian electronic communications regulator Nkom said it has participated in the R&TTE Administration and Cooperation Group (ADCO R&TTE) campaign regarding remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), commonly known as drones. In a report adopted on 21 October, the group said sixteen European countries participated in the campaign and sampled 79 products over the whole price range from all origins, including national, EEA, EFTA and third country imports.

Over six months, the market surveillance authorities found that 92 percent of the devices did not fulfil all of the requirements. Half (51%) of assessed RPAS were found to be non-compliant in relation to the effective use of spectrum. Four out of five (82%) had administrative non-compliances within the meaning of the R&TTE Directive.

The main reasons for non-compliances with the effective use of spectrum were spurious emissions (70%) and radiated power/power density (23%). Remote controls on the ground tend to have a higher non-compliance rate than the aircraft systems.

The market surveillance authorities consider the rate of non-compliances too high. The growing market of drones, combined with a low compliance rate, could lead to an increase in interference to the radio spectrum. The group agreed that market surveillance authorities should therefore continue to check such products at national level and take every appropriate measure to ban non-compliant products from the market.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/growing-drone-use-could-interfere-with-radio-spectrum–1114252