Bulgaria selects Rohde & Schwarz to upgrade its national spectrum-monitoring network

The Bulgarian Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) has selected Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) to upgrade its national spectrum monitoring network, the company announced on 14 April 2025.

The CRC is to replace seven existing fixed monitoring sites that currently use R&S ESMB, R&S DDF195/190 and R&S ADD195/190 DF antennas with the future-proof R&S ESMW and R&S ADD597 direction-finding (DF) antennas, all controlled by the latest R&S ARGUS 6.3 spectrum-monitoring software. This upgrade will enable the CRC to increase its efficiency and implement the latest International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standards, ensuring the provision of modern and quality communication services to citizens and businesses.

The R&S ESMW is a high-performance, ultra-wideband radio-monitoring receiver that provides advanced monitoring capabilities for a very wide range of frequency bands. The R&S Argus 6.3 software is a flexible platform for monitoring and analysing radio frequency (RF) signals, allowing for real-time monitoring and analysis of spectrum usage.

“With this upgrade, CRC will optimise its main task as a controlling commission, ensuring compliance with the latest ITU standards and creating conditions for the development of the market of communication networks and services,” said Anne Stephan, vice president for monitoring and analytics at R&S.

The CRC’s national spectrum monitoring network is one of the largest in the region, consisting of 15 fixed, 18 compact and 13 mobile stations, all of which are based on R&S technology. In addition, the CRC uses five R&S Benchmarker mobile systems for measuring the quality of mobile operator services.

“We are happy to support CRC in its efforts to provide modern and quality communication services to its citizens and businesses,” added Stephan.