This Autumn’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) gives the global community the opportunity to amend the Radio Regulations, the treaty that governs the international use of radio spectrum. In a series of research notes, published at a crucial point in the WRC “cycle”, we set out what is at stake at WRC-19,… Read more...

This note looks at the agenda items studied under chapters 1 and 2 of the CPM Report, concerning land mobile and fixed services, as well broadband services operating under the mobile service. This note does not consider WRC-19’s blockbuster agenda item on mmWave 5G (AI 1.13); this is considered in… Read more...

Agenda item 1.13 is the most high profile of all agenda items at WRC-19. It concerns identifying spectrum for IMT, ITU-R jargon for 5G, in frequencies above 24.25 GHz. Read more...

The satellite industry relies on the ITU for access to spectrum in space and is always closely involved with the WRC process. In general, at WRC-19 the industry is seeking more extensive access to its existing frequencies by removing some of the restrictions on how the spectrum is used. Read more...

This note looks at the agenda items falling under Chapters 4 and 5 of the CPM Report, which relate to scientific, maritime, aeronautical, and amateur services. Although many of these items may appear esoteric, they bring plenty of tricky problems that could disrupt general consensus-building at Sharm-El-Sheikh. Read more...

The most high-profile agenda item under the final chapter of the CPM Report is AI 10, the agenda for future conferences. This chapter also considers several procedural and politically-sensitive issues. Read more...

Regulators are examining evolving spectrum management tools – database-driven spectrum assignment and interference management, coupled with spectrum sensing capabilities – to facilitate spectrum sharing. Policy planners must closely monitor developments in this space and consider adapting sharing models in accordance with national and band-specific conditions. Read more...

US spectrum policy continues to be dominated by a potential windfall for satellite companies at 3.7 – 4.2 GHz,  but do wider public benefits outweigh any private gain? We examine this case and other recent examples. Read more...

Spectrum auctions have become the default mechanism for assigning high-value frequencies around the world, but the past five years have seen growing concern about the possible impact of steep auction prices on investment, consumer prices, mobile network coverage and 5G rollout. Are some governments becoming wary? Read more...

There is no globally harmonized spectrum for IoT, and there is no indication that this situation will change. IoT spectrum considerations therefore remain in the hands of national regulators. Read more...