Blog

The Radiocommunication Bureau Director (Elect) during an interview after the ITU Plenipotentiary conference in Mexico declared cleaning up the `Master International Frequency Register’ (MIFR) as one of his main priorities for the space services.

Of late, this subject has been gaining momentum in the Radiocommunication Bureau of the ITU.

Recording of any frequency assignment in the MIFR provides it the right to international recognition and this means that other administrations are obliged to take it into account when making their own assignments and avoid harmful interference. Article 8 of the Radio Regulations (RR) deals with `Status of frequency assignments recorded in the Master International Frequency Register (MIFR)’.

Unused frequency assignments and GSO positions that remain recorded in the MIFR, impede development, coordination and operation of new satellite networks.

Realising that it was becoming increasing difficult for new entrants to secure and coordinate new GSO positions and frequencies, both for planned and non-planned space services, the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) took the unusual step on May 1, 2009 (BR Circular letter No.CR/301) to call upon all the administrations to review the use of their recorded assignments and remove the ones not used. Simultaneously, the BR also took the initiative to remove unused assignments from the MIFR by taking recourse to No.13.6 of the RR and after suitable consultations with the concerned administration(s).

The urgent need to clean the MIFR was further emphasized upon by the BR during its Workshop on the `efficient use of the spectrum/orbit resource’ on 6th May 2009. Using excerpts from the space networks’ database maintained in the BR, it was illustrated how large & unrealistic notified carrier and transponder powers, large off axis EIRP densities and larger than realistic service areas make coordination between administrations more difficult.

An alarming increase in the trend towards recording of frequency assignments under No.11.41 (… the Bureau shall enter the assignment provisionally in the Master Register with an indication of those administrations whose assignments were the basis of the unfavourable finding. The entry shall be changed from provisional to definitive recording… least four months without any complaint of harmful interference being made…) was also explained by the BR.

The second workshop on this very subject was convened in June 2010 in Singapore – ITU/IDA 2010 Workshop on the efficient use of the spectrum/orbit resource, Singapore, 17-18 June 2010. Here, the BR gave information about the action taken on its initiative to clean the MIFR.

A list was drawn up by the BR for satellite networks using 3-7 and 10-14 GHz that did not correspond to `existing operating satellites’ and for which `Date of Bringing into Use’ had been confirmed by administrations. Individual letters were sent to the concerned administrations in December 2009 seeking their views in line with BR Circular letter No.CR/301.

The result of the above exercise was that 34 satellite networks were confirmed to be in regular use (out of these 16 were in use under the application of CS / Art.48 i.e. ITU’s Constitution Article 48 dealing with `Installations for National Defence Services’), 40 networks were suspended under the application of RR No.11.49, 11 networks were suppressed and 8 were candidates for suppression (still pending).

Another exercise, similar to above, was undertaken by the BR. This time for those satellite networks using 17-30 GHz band for FSS/MSS/BSS. This list was sent in April 2010 to 17 administrations and 1 intergovernmental organization for 128 networks.

Above actions of the Radiocommunication Bureau have generated ample soul searching within the satellite operators’ lobby as is evident from the presentations made by various administrations and satellite operators during the May 6, 2009 Workshop in Geneva and the June 17-18 Workshop in Singapore.

These administrations/Operators have been very supportive of the initiatives taken by the BR and have reacted positively on both occasions. It has been well recognized that the need to protect `virtual satellites” may complicate rather than facilitate access to spectrum resources while providing little gain for satellite operators.

The criteria used by the BR in identifying candidate satellite networks that did not correspond to an existing operating satellite, has been a subject of much discussion and debate. It has been stated that the deletion of satellite networks by the BR was a result of complaints from administrations where information given showed no satellites at a given location.

According to BR, the Criteria is based on various combinations of satellite name, notifying administration and orbital position (with longitudinal tolerance) and is used to link databases and match satellite networks for which `Date of Bringing into Use’ had been confirmed by administrations. Satellite networks without a match have been considered candidate networks that did not correspond to an existing operating satellite. The need to place these satellite networks on this list was further verified by checking up with corporate website of operating agencies where applicable.

During the workshops in Geneva and Singapore, views have been expressed for strengthening the hands of BR for a systematic review of the GSO arc comparing all the Resolution 49 information with information obtained from corporate websites of satellite operating agencies et al.

In this respect, setting up of international satellite monitoring station(s) to act as authorized satellite monitoring facilities on the lines of Article 16 of the Radio Regulations, has been advocated. It has been argued that this would trail a particular satellite from its launch and provide whereabouts at any given point in time; besides, showing whether there exists (or not) uplink or downlink transmission in a specified radio frequency, time and coverage area.

RR Article 16 deals with International monitoring where administrations nominate monitoring stations that review terrestrial spectrum utilization and submit reports to the BR. Circular Letter No.CR/159 of 9 May 2001 dealing with `Arrangements for collection and publication of international monitoring information related to emissions originated from terrestrial stations’, refers.

Likewise, `authorised’ satellite monitoring stations would provide BR and the RRB, a tool for examination and acting upon the information submitted as `complaints’ from administrations and satellite operators.

Space monitoring related issues have been dealt now for some time within ITU-R Study Group 1 that deals with spectrum management principles and techniques.

It has been recognized that monitoring of emissions from terrestrial stations and space stations are different in terms of technique and method.

Question ITU-R 232/1 on `Methods and techniques used in space radio monitoring’ (2006) has been under study to develop text in the format of ITU-R Recommendations and /or Reports.

After deliberating on this subject, Working Party 1C of ITU-R SG 1 came out with two draft new Reports: one dealing with the use of RR Appendix 10 (report on harmful interference) that relates to emissions both from GSO and non-GSO space stations, including geolocation information’ and the second, dealing with facilities available for measurement of emissions from both GSO and non-GSO space stations.

Draft new report ITU-R SM.[App10] (September 2010) on `Use of Appendix 10 of the Radio Regulations to convey information related to emissions from both GSO and non-GSO space stations including geolocation information’ aims to resolve impediments in the application of Article 15 and Appendix 10 of the Radio Regulations (RR) involving one or more space stations.

Appendix 10, used to report harmful interference, was designed with terrestrial services in mind therefore its applicability related to emissions from space stations is limited.

Draft new report ITU-R SM.[App10] provides some information and examples of how RR Appendix 10 can be used to convey information regarding harmful interference involving satellite signals. Data fields and additional information have been added to Appendix 10 that relate to space stations.

Draft new report ITU-R SM.[space_radio_monitoring_facilities] (September 2010) on `Measurement facilities available for the measurement of emissions from both GSO and non-GSO space stations’ describes available space radio monitoring facilities on a worldwide basis.

Taking due recourse to both these draft new reports and the facilities described therein, a matter of high priority for the Radiocommunication Bureau can be effectively addressed.

This would eventually involve, designing an appropriate procedure for systematically reviewing the GSO arc(s) of interest and comparing the monitored data with the information received by the BR about space networks that can well be described as `virtual’.

Introduction

ITU regulations & procedures as contained in the Radio Regulations have been laid down by successive World Radio Conferences on the basis of two main principles:

- equitable access

- efficient use

There are two mechanisms to achieve the above two principles:

A priori planning procedures (guaranteeing equitable access to orbit/spectrum resources for future use), which include:

The Allotment Plan for the fixed-satellite service using part of the 4/6 and 10 – 11/ 12 /13 GHz frequency bands contained in Appendix S30B;

The Plan for the broadcasting-satellite service in the frequency band 11.7 - 12.7 GHz (Appendix 30) and the associated Plan for feeder links in the 14 GHz and 17 GHz frequency bands (Appendix 30A).

Coordination procedures (with the aim of efficiency of orbit/spectrum use and interference-free operation satisfying actual requirements), which include:

Geostationary-satellite networks (in all services and frequency bands) and non-geostationary-satellite networks in certain frequency bands which are subject to advance publication and coordination procedures.

Coordination Procedure

The coordination procedure based on the principle of `efficient use’ (also called first come-first served) encompasses the provisions of the Radio Regulations & comprises of three basic steps:

Advance publication (Section I, Article 9); to inform all administrations of any planned

satellite system using a geostationary or a non-geostationary satellite and of its general description.

Coordination (Section II, Article 9); which is a formal regulatory obligation both for an administration seeking to assign a frequency assignment to its network and for an administration whose existing or planned services may be affected by that assignment. An agreement arising from this coordination confers certain rights and imposes certain obligations on the administrations concerned.

Notification/recording (Article 11); which is the final regulatory step for recording of the frequency assignments into the Master International Frequency Register (MIFR). Article 6 (CS 37) of the Constitution of the Union provides, among other things, that all members are bound to abide by the Constitution and Convention and the Administrative Regulations in all telecommunication offices and stations established or operated by them which are capable of causing harmful interference to the radio services of other countries. These international rights and obligations of administrations in respect of their own and other administrations’ frequency assignments is derived from the recording of the frequency assignments in the Master International Frequency Register (the Master Register) or from their conformity, where appropriate, with a plan (No. 8.1).

The mechanism for satellite filings and their registration is well established both for planned and non-planned services and has been subjected to amendments and changes through successive WRCs. Details of the data-bases and software-tools developed over the years in the Radiocommunication Bureau are disseminated to member countries of the ITU, periodically.

Resources

These procedures are complex and revised from time-to-time. ITU-BR holds biennial seminars to clarify and explain details & nuances associated with these procedures.

BR Space seminar and workshop files at:

http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/space/support/workshop/index.asp

Access to the Space Networks Systems Database of the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) of the ITU is available at SNS Online at: http://www.itu.int/sns/ (paying service or TIES account) - The database contains AP4 data (all data related to a space network) of more than 10600 geostationary satellite filings, 1070 non-geostationary satellite filings and 7900 earth station filings updated biweekly in synchronisation with the BR IFIC CD-ROM publication.

BR IFIC CD-ROM – Official and complete biweekly service publication (in PDF and AP4 data in mdb format) of ALL Space related Parts and Special Sections of the SNS including Plans( AP 30, 30A, 30B) at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/space/brific/index.html

The collection of BR WIC (Weekly Information Circulars) and BR IFIC (International Frequency Information Circulars) Space Services on DVD contains Parts and Special Section publications with information on the frequency assignments to space stations, earth stations or radioastronomy stations submitted to the Radiocommunication Bureau by ITU Member State Administrations. The collection on DVD-ROM contains archived WICs compiled by time series (1965-1995), from 1996 by year (1996-1999), and archived IFICs (as from 2000 onwards) by year. This is published every year in March.

The Space Radiocommunications Stations on DVD(SRS on DVD) is a service publication issued in electronic format by the BR pursuant to the pertinent provisions of `Article 20 of the Radio Regulations. It contains Appendix 4 alphanumeric and graphical information on satellite networks and earth stations, which are provided to and maintained by BR. This is published twice a year in March and September.

All details relating to the contents of the Space Networks System (Appendix 4 data items) are described in the Preface – Section III / Chapter 1 at:

http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/space/preface/index.html

The `srs.mdb’ data-base – which is a secondary data-base for Space Networks Systems (SNS) Database, can be queried to identify a likely orbital slot for provision of the required radio-service using non-plan frequency bands with minimum coordination requirements and so on.

In substance, while your administration attempts to carry out the study on usage of orbit & spectrum resource, familiarization with not only the BR practices that are based on the use of Radio Regulations for space services, but the software-tools & data-bases & above all, the procedures involved for technical & regulatory examination of satellite filings, is a must.

An orientation programme to sequentially explain these procedures to administrations would go a long way in discharging the responsibility of managing the spectrum & orbit resource for space services from a national point of view.