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Regulatory Process for Communications Satellite Frequency Allocations

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Handbook of Satellite Applications

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Abstract

Ready access to radio frequencies with limited interference and appropriate orbital positions are indispensable and highly valuable tools for all satellite communications. However, radio frequencies are limited, natural, and international resources. Furthermore, the global demand for radio spectrum has been increasing exponentially. Acting primarily through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the international community has developed a very complex regulatory regime that provides detailed rules and processes that govern the international allocation and allotment of radio frequencies and orbital positions. This chapter briefly describes those regulatory processes as well as the manner in which they are created as part of the functioning of the ITU. This chapter thus provides the basics of ITU procedures for frequency allocations. The immediately following chapter provides the status of the ITU World Radio Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland in the fall of 2015 and the many key new outcomes that occurred at this conference with regard to satellite communications.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 1.18, (as amended by World Radiocommunication Conference in 2007; hereinafter referred to as the ITU Radio Regulations) define “assignment” (of a radio frequency or radio frequency channel) as an “Authorization given by an Administration (State) for a radio station to use a radio frequency or radio frequency channel under specified conditions.”

  2. 2.

    S. Nadgir, UPDATE 2-ProtoStar files for bankruptcy, to sell satellites (2009), http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/07/29/protostar-idUSBNG6434120090729.Venture Capital Dispatch, VC-Backed ProtoStar falls out of orbit and into bankruptcy (2009), http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/07/29/vc-backed-protostar-falls-out-of-orbit-and-into-bankruptcy/. The ITU Radiocommunication Bureau expressed its concern about the operation of ProtoStar satellite network without its proper registration with the ITU, particularly due to possible harmful interference as well as “risk of physical collision between the ‘Thuraya-3’ satellite – operating on the assigned frequencies of the Emarsat-4S satellite network, which is located at 98.5° East – and the ProtoStar-1 satellite.” The Bureau was of the opinion that there was “no information concerning the associated ITU satellite network filing, or the responsible administration under which the ProtoStar-1 satellite would be brought into use and operated, the Bureau was extremely concerned and alarmed to be the witness of a situation in which a satellite, in this case, ProtoStar-1, could be operated in contravention of the ITU Constitution, particularly No. 196 and No. 18.1 of Article 18 on Licences of the Radio Regulations, and this without a responsible Administration and by an unknown operating agency not duly authorized by an ITU Member State.” See Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, Report to the 48th meeting of the Radio Regulations Board, ITU Document: RRB08-3/3-E, page 4, of 4 August 2008.

  3. 3.

    NewSat price, turnover soar on satellite news, http://www.smh.com.au/business/newsat-price-turnover-soar-on-satellite-news-20110201-1abv4.html.

  4. 4.

    Article 1.2 of the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1992) as amended by the Plenipotentiary Conferences in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010 (hereinafter referred to as the ITU Constitution).

  5. 5.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 1.16, define “allocation” (of a frequency band) as an “Entry in the Table of Frequency Allocations of a given frequency band for the purpose of its use by one or more terrestrial or space radiocommunication services or the radio astronomy service under specified conditions. This term shall also be applied to the frequency band concerned.”

  6. 6.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 1.17 define “allotment” (of a radio frequency or radio frequency channel) as an “Entry of a designated frequency channel in an agreed plan, adopted by a competent conference, for use by one or more administrations for a terrestrial or space radiocommunication service in one or more identified countries or geographical areas and under specified conditions.”

  7. 7.

    ITU Constitution, Article 1.3.

  8. 8.

    ITU Constitution, Article 4.1.

  9. 9.

    ITU Constitution, Article 54.1.

  10. 10.

    ITU Constitution, Article 54.1.

  11. 11.

    ITU Constitution, Article 4.4.

  12. 12.

    ITU Constitution, Article 4.4.

  13. 13.

    ITU Constitution, Article 54.2.

  14. 14.

    ITU Constitution, Article 6.1.

  15. 15.

    ITU Constitution, Article 6.2.

  16. 16.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 18.1.

  17. 17.

    http://www.itu.int/members/index.html.

  18. 18.

    ITU Constitution, Article 2.

  19. 19.

    ITU Constitution, Article 2.

  20. 20.

    http://www.itu.int/members/sectmem/categories.html.

  21. 21.

    http://www.itu.int/members/sectmem/categories.html.

  22. 22.

    http://www.itu.int/members/sectmem/participation.html.

  23. 23.

    http://www.itu.int/members/academia/index.html.

  24. 24.

    For details about ITU’s history, visit: http://www.itu.int/en/history/Pages/default.aspx.

  25. 25.

    ITU Constitution, Article 7.

  26. 26.

    ITU Constitution, Article 8.1.

  27. 27.

    ITU Constitution, Article 8.3.

  28. 28.

    ITU Constitution, Article 8.2.

  29. 29.

    ITU Constitution, Article 10.4.

  30. 30.

    They are: Mexico (votes received 143), Brazil (135), Canada (135), Argentina (131), Cuba (125), Venezuela (119), United States (114), Costa Rica (93), Paraguay (91), Spain (138), Italy (136), France (135), Germany (130), Sweden (126), Turkey (125), Greece (109), Russian Federation (123), Bulgaria (116), Romania (114), Poland (107), Czech Republic (93), Egypt (122), Kenya (119), Algeria (114), Morocco (114), Ghana (112), Tunisia (111), South Africa (105), Mali (101), Burkina Faso (97), Nigeria (95), Rwanda (93), Senegal (93), Cameroon (83), Indonesia (135), China (134), Japan (133), Malaysia (127), Korea (Rep. of) (125), Bangladesh (123), Thailand (121), Australia (119), India (119), United Arab Emirates (114), Kuwait (108), Saudi Arabia (105), and Philippines (97).

  31. 31.

    ITU Constitution, Article 17.1.

  32. 32.

    ITU Constitution, Article 18.

  33. 33.

    ITU Constitution, Article 21.2.

  34. 34.

    ITU Constitution, Article 12.1.

  35. 35.

    ITU Constitution, Article 12.2.

  36. 36.

    ITU Constitution, Article 14.

  37. 37.

    ITU Constitution, Article 14.1.

  38. 38.

    Elected by the 2010 plenipotentiary conference, the current members of the radio regulations board are: Ricardo Luis Terán (Argentine Republic); Julie Napier Zoller (United States); Alfredo Magenta (Italy); Mindaugas Zilinskas (Lithuania); Victor Strelets (Russian Federation); Baiysh Nurmatov (Kyrgyz Republic); Stanley Kaige Kibe (Kenya); Mustapha Bessi (Morocco); Simon Koffi (Côte d’Ivoire); Yasuhiko Ito (Japan); Ali R. Ebadi (Malaysia); and P. K. Garg (India).

  39. 39.

    ITU Constitution, 13.3.

  40. 40.

    ITU Constitution, 13.3.

  41. 41.

    ITU Constitution, Article 14.2.

  42. 42.

    Audrey Allison, “Latest developments in ITU radiofrequency regulations and procedures including coordination and registration, for interference-free operation of satellites,” a lecture given at the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 26 January 2008.

  43. 43.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 5, specify that:

    • 5.23 Primary and secondary services

    • 5.24 1) Where, in a box of the Table in Section IV of this Article, a band is indicated as allocated to more than one service, either on a worldwide or regional basis, such services are listed in the following order:

    • 5.25 a) services the names of which are printed in “capitals” (example: FIXED); these are called “primary” services;

    • 5.26 b) services the names of which are printed in “normal characters” (example: Mobile); these are called “secondary” services (see Nos. 5.28–5.31).

    • 5.27 2) Additional remarks shall be printed in normal characters (example: MOBILE except aeronautical mobile).

    • 5.28 3) Stations of a secondary service:

    • 5.29 a) shall not cause harmful interference to stations of primary services to which frequencies are already assigned or to which frequencies may be assigned at a later date;

    • 5.30 b) cannot claim protection from harmful interference from stations of a primary service to which frequencies are already assigned or may be assigned at a later date;

    • 5.31 c) can claim protection, however, from harmful interference from stations of the same or other secondary service(s) to which frequencies may be assigned at a later date.

    • 5.34 Additional allocations

    • 5.35 1) Where a band is indicated in a footnote of the Table as “also allocated” to a service in an area smaller than a Region, or in a particular country, this is an “additional” allocation, i.e., an allocation which is added in this area or in this country to the service or services which are indicated in the Table (see No. 5.36).

    • 5.36 2) If the footnote does not include any restriction on the service or services concerned apart from the restriction to operate only in a particular area or country, stations of this service or these services shall have equality of right to operate with stations of the other primary service or services indicated in the Table.

    • 5.38 Alternative allocations

    • 5.39 1) Where a band is indicated in a footnote of the Table as “allocated” to one or more services in an area smaller than a region, or in a particular country, this is an “alternative” allocation, i.e., an allocation which replaces, in this area or in this country, the allocation indicated in the Table (see No. 5.40).

    • 5.40 2) If the footnote does not include any restriction on stations of the service or services concerned, apart from the restriction to operate only in a particular area or country, these stations of such a service or services shall have an equality of right to operate with stations of the primary service or services, indicated in the Table, to which the band is allocated in other areas or countries.

    • 5.41 3) If restrictions are imposed on stations of a service to which an alternative allocation is made, in addition to the restriction to operate only in a particular country or area, this is indicated in the footnote.

    • 5.50 5) The footnote references which appear in the Table below the allocated service or services apply to more than one of the allocated services, or to the whole of the allocation concerned. (WRC-2000)

    • 5.51 6) The footnote references which appear to the right of the name of a service are applicable only to that particular service.

  44. 44.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 8.5.

  45. 45.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Articles 11.1–11.8.

  46. 46.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 26 (3,025 and 18,030 KHz).

  47. 47.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 27.

  48. 48.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 30A.

  49. 49.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 30B.

  50. 50.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 9.3.

  51. 51.

    ITU Constitution, Article 14.2.

  52. 52.

    Particularly to reduce the registration of so-called paper or virtual satellites, the notifications for which are filed with the ITU without any serious plans for the acquisition and launch of these satellites.

  53. 53.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 11.44.

  54. 54.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 11.48.

  55. 55.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 11.49.

  56. 56.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Article 11.50.

  57. 57.

    Entitled “Administrative due diligence applicable to some satellite radiocommunication services.”

  58. 58.

    ITU Radio Regulations, Resolution 49, Annex 1, para. 11.

  59. 59.

    For example: OPTOS satellite system (see Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, Report to the 56th meeting of the Radio Regulations Board, ITU Document: RRB11-1/3-E, Annex 4, of 1 March 2011); LARKSAT-IORR, LARKSAT-AOR2R, LARKSAT-NAR, LARKSAT-PORR, INSAT-NAV-A-GS, SWANSAT-3A, THAICOM-LS2, and THAICOM-LS3 satellite systems (see Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, Report to the 55th meeting of the Radio Regulations Board, ITU Document : RRB10-3/4-E, Annex 4, of 29 October 2010); INSAT-EXC55E (see Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, Report to the 50th meeting of the Radio Regulations Board, ITU Document: RRB09-1/1-E, Annex 4, of 4 February 2009); and GOES-89.5W and GOES-105W satellite systems (see Director, Radiocommunication Bureau, Report to the 48th meeting of the Radio Regulations Board, ITU Document: RRB08-3/3-E, Annex 4, of 4 August 2008).

  60. 60.

    As of February 2011, there are 64 States Parties to this protocol. They are Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo (Rep. of the), Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Guinea, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Rep. of), Kuwait, Lao P.D.R., Latvia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. http://www.itu.int/cgibin/htsh/mm/scripts/mm.final-acts.list?_languageid=1&_agrmts_type=PROT-92.

  61. 61.

    Article 10.2 of the ITU Convention of the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1992) as amended by the Plenipotentiary Conferences in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University, 3690 Peel Street, H3A 1W9, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Ram S. Jakhu

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  1. Ram S. Jakhu
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Correspondence to Ram S. Jakhu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Executive Board,International Assoc. for the,Advancement of Space Safety, George Washington University, Arlington, Virginia, USA

    Joseph N. Pelton

  2. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

    Scott Madry

  3. CRECTEA/INAOE, Santa Maria Tomantzintla, Mexico

    Sergio Camacho-Lara

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Jakhu, R.S. (2016). Regulatory Process for Communications Satellite Frequency Allocations. In: Pelton, J., Madry, S., Camacho-Lara, S. (eds) Handbook of Satellite Applications. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6423-5_14-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6423-5_14-3

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6423-5

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