ITU
Orbit/Spectrum
Access Mechanism
Yvon Henri
Chief, Space Services Department
ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (BR)
International
Telecommunication
Union
ITU in brief
Committed to Connecting the World
 20 countries founded on 17 May
1865 the International Telegraph
Union (ITU)
Today : 191 Member States,
> 700 Sector Members & Associates
750 staff / 70 nationalities
Annual budget = 140 mil. USD
http://www.itu.int
ITU is the leading United Nations
agency for information and
communication technologies
Key priorities
Committed to Connecting the World
• radio spectrum
• radio spectrum
• international
standards
• emergency
communications
& climate change
• digital divide
• cybersecurity
ITU-R mission
Committed to Connecting the World
“To ensure rational, equitable,
efficient and economical use of the
radio-frequency spectrum by all
radiocommunication services,
including those using satellite orbits,
and to carry out studies and adopt
recommendations on
radiocommunication matters.”
Role conducted through
(inter alia):
World and Regional Radiocommunication Conferences
Radiocommunication
Study Groups
Radio Regulations Board
Radiocommunication Bureau
The actions in ITU-R aim at creating the conditions
for harmonized development and efficient operation of
existing and new radiocommunication systems.
Committed to Connecting the World
GSO
SATELLITES
INTERFERENCE
Non-GSO
SATELLITES
TERRESTRIAL
STATION
TRANSMITTING
EARTH STATION
RECEIVING
EARTH STATION
Committed to Connecting the World
Propagation of Radio waves
• Laws of physics
• Radio waves do not stop at national borders
Interference
• possible between radio stations of different
countries
• This risk is high in Space Radiocommunications
Radio Regulations (RR)
• One of its main purposes - Interference-free
operation of Radiocommunications
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The Radio Regulations
(international treaty)
incorporates the decisions of
the World Radiocommunication
Conferences, including all
Appendices, Resolutions,
Recommendations and
ITU-R Recommendations
incorporated by reference.
Frequency block allocations to defined radio services (Article 5)
 Mandatory or voluntary regulatory procedures (coordination, plan
modification, notification, recording) that are adapted to the allocation
structure

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Radio Regulations
- Lengthy & complex
procedure
Decided by Administrations during WRC
Governed by:
-More sophisticated use of spectrum
-Individual requirements of
administrations
One of its main purposes Interference-free operation of
Radiocommunications
Committed to Connecting the World
Radio Regulations
- Lengthy & complex
procedure
Efficient use of spectrum,
Equitable access
Opportunity to resolve interference
before operation
Prevents loss of investment, customers
& revenue by minimizing unusable
capacity due to interference
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API
(Advance Publication)
First part of 3-stage
process
1 ~ 2 years
Start of regulatory clock
Up to 7 years before operation
Committed to Connecting the World
API
BR
(Advanced Publication)
Coordination
Central part of 3-stage process
Technical & regulatory exam
+
Coordination requirements
Affected
Adm.
CA & DT/T
Committed to Connecting the World
7.5A
9.6
Committed to Connecting the World
9.6
“Before an
administration
notifies to the
Bureau or brings
into use a
frequency
assignment in any
of the cases listed
below, it shall
effect coordination,
as required, with
other
administrations
identified under
No. 9.27”
7.5A
“If a frequency
assignment is
brought into use
before
commencement of
the coordination
procedure ... the
operation in advance
of the application of
the procedure shall,
in no way, afford any
priority.”
Committed to Connecting the World
API
(Advanced Publication)
Coordination
3 ~ 6 years
C/I
Affected
Adm.
Committed to Connecting the World
API
(Advanced Publication)
Coordination
Notification
(Recording in Master
Register)
Last part of 3-stage process
Max. 7 years after API submission
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API
(Advanced Publication)
Coordination
Notification
(Recording in Master
Register)
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No coordination
agreement ?
API
(Advanced Publication)
Coordination
Notification
(Recording in Master
Register)
Unfavourable
finding
(No. 11.32)
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No coordination
agreement ?
API
(Advanced Publication)
Coordination
11.32A
11.41
Notification
(Recording in Master
Register)
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11.32A
11.41
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“ examine ..
.. probability of harmful interference ..
.. notifying administration states that ..
.. coordination ..
.. could not be
successfully completed ”
11.32A
11.41
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“ .. provisional recording
in Master Register ”
11.41
Committed to Connecting the World
Summary for non-planned services …
API
Start the
clock
(7 years to
bring into
use)
Valid up
to 2
years
Coordination
Notification
Obligatory
negotiation
(Goal:
interferenc
e-free
operation)
Recording in
Master
Register
(internation
al
recognition)
(3 ~ 6
years)
(Bringing
into use)
Committed to Connecting the World
Consequences:
•
•
•
•
•
Difficulty to complete coordination
Multiple filing submissions
Operation without prior coordination
Fait-accompli approach
Fictitious recorded assignments
…regulatory framework:
International
Spectrum /orbit resource
scarcity
• Lengthy & complex procedures
• Lack of incentive to review
underused spectrum/orbital
position
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Goal:
• To ensure rational, equitable, What to do?
To introduce new milestones in
efficient and economical use of• the
Res 49
radio frequency spectrum
• To notify more realistic parameters at
• To ensure compliance of
the notification/recording stage
orbit/spectrum use with RR
• To charge fees for data in the MIFR
• To develop procedures that facilitate
• To review satellite service/application
access to the resources
• To guarantee interference-free definitions
satellite network operation… • to introduce more deterrent
enforcement mechanisms
• to improve procedures?
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ITU BR Workshop
Efficient Use of the
Spectrum/Orbit
Resource
was held in
Geneva, 6 May 2009
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Committed to Connecting the World
ITU BR Workshop
Two questions were posed
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Committed to Connecting the World
Question One
Do ITU & RR, through the
existing procedures for the
registration of frequency
assignments for space services,
bring added value to
administrations and the
satellite community ?
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Committed to Connecting the World
Question Two
What mechanisms & practical
strategies can be employed to
ensure efficient use of the
spectrum/orbit resource and
improve the existing international
satellite spectrum management
systems ?
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Solutions
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/space/Pages/efficientUseGeneva2009.aspx
Solutions
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Committed to Connecting the World
Solutions
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/space/Pages/efficientUseGeneva2009.aspx
Technical characteristics of
satellite networks
Regulatory
Financial & economic
considerations
Equitable access
considerations
Training
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Committed to Connecting the World
Technical characteristics of
satellite networks
Regulatory
Financial & economic
considerations
Equitable access
considerations
Training
• Adopt state of art technology –
Higher transmission rate with less
spectrum, efficient spectrum use at all
times & reduced satellite interference
• Use simplified set of “real”
operating satellite parameters More realistic interference exam &
facilitate sharing
• Improve AP4 information
quality – More realistic notified power,
remove A16a, quantify steerability,
suspend/sup steerable beams not
brought into use, limit steerability to
service area, extend coordination arc to
other bands, shorten current
coordination arcs, introduce
coordination pfd limits, use NGSO
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Committed to Connecting the World
Technical characteristics of
satellite networks
Regulatory
Financial & economic
considerations
• CR/301 1 May 2009 – Remove
unused frequency assignments &
networks in MIFR
• Remove API – For networks subject
to coordination. Only 20% of networks in
API will reach notification
• No. 11.41
– Limit number of 11.41
recorded assignments, limit to closely
separated satellite networks and
genuine coordination difficulties
Equitable access
considerations
• No. 11.44.1
Training
• Res49 – Submit Res49 after launch,
– Recorded assignments
in MIFR maintained, remove API and
coordination data
allows verification by administration
• No. 11.44
& 11.47 – concept of
bringing into use
• ISM – Resolve interference problems
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and ensure proper use of international
regulatory framework
Committed to Connecting the World
Technical characteristics of
satellite networks
Regulatory
• Impact of fees – May improve
Financial & economic
considerations
Equitable access
considerations
efficient spectrum/orbit use. But may
be difficult to agree on fee,
disadvantage for developing countries,
may not deter major players
Training
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Committed to Connecting the World
Technical characteristics of
satellite networks
Regulatory
Financial & economic
considerations
Equitable access
considerations
Training
• Metric Proposal – Evaluate equitable
access in present and future
spectrum/orbit use
• Climate, Geographical,
Economical and Social Aspects –
Major constraints on planning of
satellite spectrum/orbit resources in
developing countries
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Committed to Connecting the World
Technical characteristics of
satellite networks
Regulatory
Financial & economic
considerations
Equitable access
considerations
Training
• Seminars/Workshop –BR provides
administration with useful training
about regulatory procedures and
software tools
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WP 4A & 1C
Working Party 1C (WP 1C)
Spectrum monitoring
• Development of a monitoring
programme on the use of the
spectrum by space services
• 11th International Space Monitoring
Meeting (October 2009, Seoul,
Korea)
• Question ITU-R 232/1
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Committed to Connecting the World
BR Workshop Follow-up
 ITU/IDA Worshop (Singapore)
(17-18 June 2010)
 EMC EUROPE 2010 (Wroclaw)
(14 September 2010)
 BR Worshop 2011 ?(Geneva)
(~April-June 2011)
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Committed to Connecting the World
Ultimate stage….
Committed to Connecting the World
ITU
Orbit/Spectrum
Access Mechanism
THANK YOU!
Yvon Henri
Chief, Space Services Department
ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (BR)
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