Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma said he is intent on finding a geostationary-orbit slot for a national telecommunications satellite but was told by international regulators that the orbital arc over Bolivia is crowded and that securing broadcast frequencies will require “meticulous and time-consuming” coordination with other satellite operators, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said in a Sept. 14 statement.
The Geneva-based ITU, which coordinates orbital positions and broadcast frequencies, said Morales is likely to select an orbital position and related frequencies in the coming year. Morales visited ITU on Sept. 13 to negotiate the satellite issue.
The ITU grants nations national allotments of frequencies. Bolivia has access to certain fixed-satellite-service frequency bands at 34.8 degrees west, and higher-frequency broadcast satellite service rights at 87.2 degrees west.
Bolivian authorities are asking ITU assistance in securing access to other frequencies in C-, Ku- and Ka-band, ITU said, adding that it will work with Bolivia to craft an acceptable solution but that it could make no promises.
“As the arc of interest for a geostationary satellite orbital position for Bolivia is quite crowded, it would require complex coordination to achieve agreement for the mutual operation of all communication satellites in the region,” ITU said.
