Big Topic for WRC-7 is Widened Agenda for WRC-11
GENEVA -- World Radio Conference (WRC) negotiators may consider spectrum allocation for long-range ship tracking, electronic newsgathering, safety at sea and continuing protection of aeronautical radiocommunication services when they meet later this year, officials here said.
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The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said the WRC-11 preliminary agenda, to be set at WRC-07, should include deletion of country footnotes in aeronautical bands and review of studies WRC-2000 commissioned. The studies would ensure spectrum availability and protection for aeronautical mobile satellite service in the 1.5-1.6 GHz band, documents said. Air travelers are expected to double in number by 2025, the Airports Council International said in Jan., and air freight will triple. Aeronautical services and systems must be guarded against wireless interactive multimedia services on yet undetermined frequencies, it said.
Future WRCs should allow amendments to regulatory provisions reflecting changes to SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention Chapter IV, on radiocommunication, International Maritime Organization (IMO) documents said. A future agenda item should address “spectrum requirements for identification and tracking to support Long-Range Identification and Tracking and Ship Security Alert Systems; additional spectrum for AIS (Automatic Identification Systems) channels in the mobile satellite service; and spectrum requirements for the delivery of Maritime Safety Information using advanced HF data systems,” documents said. Changes in technologies in the high frequency bands will require more efficient use of available spectrum, IMO documents said.
Alternative planning methods should be developed for the 21.4-22 GHz BSS (broadcasting satellite service) band and associated feederlink bands, Asia Pacific Bcstg. Union (ABU) documents said. A methodology should be developed using a flexible, simple approach, avoiding rigid allotments, it said. Spectrum use for the 21 GHz BSS band should guard all nations’ interests, documents said. Interim band use should help technology developments, with interim BSS systems operating in the band coordinated for rain attenuation mitigation methods, power flux density and other factors. A possible draft resolution for WRC-07 suggests continued studies on harmonization of spectrum usage and BSS technologies, with the aim of deciding on spectrum use for the band at the next WRC. Region 2 is the Americas and some eastern Pacific Islands. Regions 1 and 3 are everything else. The ABU studied the issue for 6 years, it said.
Japan, backed by Korea, wants new rules on spectrum use between 275 GHz and 3000 GHz, an Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) document said. Japan plans to use 649-651 GHz for studies from the International Space Station starting in 2008, with frequencies “between 40-1200 GHz” used starting in 2012. Japan urged that WRC-11 “ensure long-term spectrum availability and protection for the aeronautical mobile-satellite,” radiocommunication service in bands 1545-1555 MHz (space-to-earth) and 1646.5-1656.5 MHz (earth-to-space), documents said.
Based on ITU-R studies, it’s important that WRC-07 gauge feasibility of “worldwide harmonization of spectrum usage and user requirements for ENG [electronic news gathering] links” and what frequency bands to use, including identification of specific bands, an Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) document said. ENG equipment ancillary to broadcasting and operating terrestrially in fixed and mobile service bands is key part of broadcast operations, documents said. Some APT countries had ideas for the WRC-11 agenda: Global harmonization of the ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) bands, including identifying a 900 MHz ISM band for Region 3; improving efficiency of the use of medium and high frequency bands allocated to the maritime mobile service considering new digital technology; support unmanned aerial vehicle spectrum requirements; re-planning the 500 kHz Maritime Distress Channel spectrum for use by the Amateur service.
Russia voiced concern about a rise in the “number of active and passive assets in aerospace and near-earth orbits with altitudes below 2000 km,” documents said. It said, development and deployment of advanced and economical radars is required for tracking launch vehicles and spacecraft at launch and in orbital maneuvers, debris detection and tracking and aerospace surveillance, including air traffic control.