WRC Agreed to Measures Aimed at Easing Satellite Congestion and Spurring Access
GENEVA -- ITU member governments made gains in clarifying the rules for bringing into use satellite network frequency assignments and set up a process of inquiries about the movement of satellites, sources said on the last day of the four-week World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC). Reducing the orbital arc used for determining the coordination requirements of satellite networks is one way to ease difficulties, but is “not sufficient by itself,” said Francois Rancy, director of the Radiocommunication Bureau, during a press conference.
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The conference addressed a complicated array of satellite issues, officials said. The difficulty in managing access to orbits and associated spectrum is related to heavy demand, limited resources, and the ability, in the name of flexibility, to keep part of the resource unused for a certain amount of time, Rancy said.
Administrations and operators have “unfortunately” extensively used suspension of a satellite network to keep “orbital slots they are not using,” Rancy said. The major conference decision on the matter was to “take steps to prevent this type of abuse,” he said. The difficulty to coordinate with other systems is one of the symptoms of the abuse, he said.
The conference clarified “the notion of bringing into use of satellite network frequency assignments as a satellite is deployed and maintained at the notified orbital position for a continuous period of ninety days,” an ITU press release said. The conference mandated the Radiocommunication Bureau with initiating inquiries to administrations to provide information on the movement of satellites, it said.
Improved due diligence information, including more detailed information on the identity of the spacecraft used for the operation of the frequency assignments was also agreed to foster the long-term access and development of the broadcasting satellite service in the 21.4 to 22 GHz band in ITU regions 1 and 3, the press release said. WRC-12 improved satellite coordination by reducing the coordination arc in parts of the most congested spectrum and agreed to look into the possibility of further reductions, it said.
One way of easing the difficulty in coordination for and spurring access to orbital slots is to say that outside a certain orbital arc of about 10 degrees in the Ku-band, “you don’t have to coordinate,” Rancy said. It means it’s easier to get in, he said. If 30 countries have rights in the 10 degrees, there’s still a problem, he said. The reduction of the responsibility to coordinate is one way to spur access for new systems, he said. “It’s certainly not sufficient by itself,” he said.
The conference included new provisions in the Radio Regulations to improve satellite detection of automatic information systems using VHF channels, the press release said. It also decided that notifying administrations of mobile satellite service networks shall accommodate spectrum needed for distress, urgency and safety communications of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System and for aeronautical mobile-satellite (route) service communications, it said.