
Article 1 
The subject matter of this Decision is the harmonisation of the conditions for the availability and efficient use of the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz radio spectrum band in the Community.
Article 2 
For the purposes of this Decision,

((a)) ‘hearing aid’ means a radio communications system which usually includes one or more radio transmitters and one or more radio receivers allowing persons suffering from hearing disability to increase their listening capability;
((b)) ‘social alarm’ means a reliable radio communications system and network including portable equipment which allows a person in distress in a limited area to initiate a call for assistance by a simple manipulation;
((c)) ‘meter reading system’ means a system which allows remote status monitoring, measuring and service commands using radio communication devices;
((d)) ‘tracing and asset tracking system’ means a system which allows the tracing and tracking of goods, leading to their recovery, consisting in general of an radio transmitter placed on the item to be protected and a receiver and may also include an alarm;
((e)) ‘paging system’ means a system allowing one-way radio communications between the sender and the receiver using a base station with the mobile as a receiver;
((f)) ‘private mobile radio communications (PMR)’ means a land mobile communications service using simplex, half duplex and possibly full duplex modes at the terminal level to provide closed user group communications.
Article 3 

1. The 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz band shall be divided into a low power part and a high power part. Its frequency plan and the channelling arrangements shall be laid down in the Annex to this Decision.
2. The low power part of the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz radio spectrum band shall accommodate the following preferred applications:
(a) exclusive use for hearing aids;
(b) exclusive use for social alarms;
(c) non-exclusive use for meter reading systems;
(d) non-exclusive use for low power transmitters for tracking and asset tracing systems.
3. The high power part of the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz band shall accommodate the following preferred applications:
(a) high power transmitters for tracing and asset tracking systems;
(b) existing paging systems or paging systems relocating from other channels in the radio spectrum band.
4. Alternative applications for the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz radio spectrum band may be implemented provided that they do not constrain the harmonised implementation of the preferred applications. These alternative applications shall be:
(a) hearing aids, for the non-exclusive, low power part of the radio spectrum band;
(b) tracing, paging, temporary use or private mobile radio communications on a national basis in the high power part of the band.
5. The maximum radiated power in the low power part of the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz radio spectrum band shall be limited to 0,5 Watt effective radiated power (e.r.p.). The maximum duty cycles for the meter reading systems and tracing and asset tracking system in the low power part of the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz radio spectrum band shall be < 10 % and < 1 % respectively.
6. The use of the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz radio spectrum band by paging systems and private mobile radio communications that is authorised at the date of notification of this Decision and which is not in conformity with Article 3 paragraphs 1 to 5, may continue for as long as the authorisations for such services, existing at the date of notification of this Decision, remain valid.
Article 4 
Article 3 shall apply from 27 December 2005.
Article 5 
Member States shall keep the use of the 169,4 – 169,8125 MHz radio spectrum band under review to ensure the efficient use thereof and report their findings to the Commission.
Article 6 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 20 December 2005.
For the Commission
Viviane REDING
Member of the Commission
ANNEX
Low power applications ‘Guardband’ High power applications
Specific low power applications Social alarms Hearing aids Social alarms Tracking and tracing system Paging Paging Paging Tracking and tracing system Tracking and tracing system Paging system Tracking and tracing system
Hearing aids Exclusive use These channels could be used on a national basis for high power applications such as paging, tracing, temporary use or PMR.
12,5 12,5 50 12,5 12,5
1a 1b 2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b+5+6a 6b+7+8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b 12a 12b 13a 13b 14a 14b 15a 15b 16a 16b

Legend:1st row: category application, i.e. low power applications or high power applications;2nd row: preferred applications:
— Specific low power applications: see Article 3(2)(c) and (d).
— Social alarms: see Article 3(2)(b).
— Hearing aids: see Article 3(2)(a).
— Tracking and tracing system (high power part): see Article 3(3)(a)
— Paging system: see Article 3(3)(b)3rd row: alternative applications: see Article 3(4);4th and 5th rows: channel raster (in kHz) and channel number.
12,5 kHz bandwidth 25 kHz bandwidth 50 kHz bandwidth
Channel number Centre frequency Channel number Centre frequency Channel number Centre frequency
1a 169,406250 1 169,412500  
1b 169,418750 ‘0’ 169,437500
2a 169,431250 2 169,437500
2b 169,443750
3a 169,456250 3 169,462500
3b 169,468750  
4a 169,481250 4 169,487500
4b 169,493750 ‘1’ 169,512500
5a 169,506250 5 169,512500
5b 169,518750
6a 169,531250 6 169,537500
6b 169,543750 ‘2’ 169,562500
7a 169,556250 7 169,562500
7b 169,568750
8a 169,581250 8 169,587500
8b 169,593750  
12,5 kHz ‘guard band’
9a 169,618750 9 169,62500
9b 169,631250
10a 169,643750 10 169,65000
10b 169,656250
11a 169,668750 11 169,67500
11b 169,681250
12a 169,693750 12 169,70000
12b 169,706250
13a 169,718750 13 169,72500
13b 169,731250
14a 169,743750 14 169,75000
14b 169,756250
15a 169,768750 15 169,77500
15b 169,781250
16a 169,793750 16 169,80000
16b 169,806250