Francois Rancy, director of the ITU’s Radiocommunication Bureau, said at a Nov. 27 news conference that the added push for terrestrial networks in the 3.4-3.6-gigahertz bands in the Americas, Europe and Africa, plus individual Asia-Pacific nations’ statements, added up to a “nearly global allocation” for terrestrial networks. Credit: ITU/D. Woldu

Satellite Industry Held its Ground at Global Spectrum Conclave

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The attempt by terrestrial broadband networks to gain access to C-band frequencies currently reserved for satellite use mainly failed, with the exception of the lower piece of C-band that had already been partly opened to them in 2007.

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An unidentified attendee looks at his phone during the third week of the monthlong WRC-15 spectrum conclave. Credit: ITU / A. Mhadhbi

Satellite Issues Unresolved as Spectrum Conclave Enters Homestretch

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Global regulators ended the third week of their four-week conference on future radio spectrum allocation Nov. 20 without having reached a decision on the key issues relating to commercial satellite telecommunications industry.

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Julie Zoller, the U.S. State Department’s senior deputy coordinator for Communications and Information Policy and deputy head of the U.S. WRC delegation, said just about any piece of the existing Ku- and Ka-band spectrum now in use for satellite services — with the exception of frequencies specifically reserved for national Ku-band broadcast services — could be used for UAV command and control. Credit: ITU

U.S., Germany Face Uphill Fight for UAV Spectrum 

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The United States and Germany, backed by several large commercial satellite fleet operators, are fighting an uphill battle to persuade global governments to allocate Ku- or Ka-band satellite spectrum for the command and control of unmanned aerial vehicles on transoceanic or trans-continental routes.

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Aireon’s business model is straightforward: It will provide a global surveillance capability with the same performance level as the current ground-based ADS-B system. Air navigation authorities will use the information not only to track aircraft mid-ocean, but also to assign more optimal air routes to save fuel or avoid bad weather. Credit: Aireon

ITU Aircraft Satellite-tracking Agreement Bolsters Aireon Business Case

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Global governments’ approval of radio spectrum permitting aircraft to provide additional tracking data to satellites reduces the chance of another lost jet like Malaysian Airlines MH370 and immediately improves the business case for Iridium Satellites and its Aireon LLC aircraft-tracking affiliate.

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Francois Rancy ITU

In Busan, Regulators Put Global Flight Tracking on WRC-15 Agenda

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International regulators adopted a resolution designed to accelerate the introduction of satellite technology for commercial aircraft tracking, a subject that, while ostensibly noncontroversial, was aggressively contested by two satellite fleet operators.

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