U.S. PRELIMINARY VIEWS TAKE SHAPE UP FOR NEXT WRC MEETING
In advance of upcoming regional meetings that lead to World Radio Conference (WRC) in 2003, WRC Advisory Committee took up draft U.S. views on 10 more agenda items Wed., although other policy areas were awaiting final position from U.S. govt. before preliminary view could be crafted. “Our stated objective when we started this process was to be ready a year or more in advance [of WRC] to consult with our colleagues around the world, so that we have solid proposals that have international support as we go into Caracas,” FCC International Bureau Chief Donald Abelson said at WRC Advisory Committee at FCC hq Wed. Next WRC meeting is set for 2003 in Caracas, Venezuela, with Latin American regional meeting in advance of WRC in Feb. “The goal is to try to come up with, as soon as we can, final proposals… so that we have a great chance of success when we get to Caracas,” Abelson said. U.S. planning process for next WRC has emphasized having positions crafted well enough in advance of regional telecom policy meetings so U.S. could weigh in as those broader stances were formed. FCC last week closed comment period on preliminary views and draft proposals, including dozens adopted by WRC Advisory Committee as of Oct.
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Alex Roytblat, newly named WRC dir. at FCC, provided rundown of reports from regional WRC-2003 preparatory meetings based on recent consultation meeting held by European Conference of Postal & Telecommunication (CEPT) administrations and European Commission. On resolution for upcoming WRC that involves review of 13.75 to 14 GHz sharing conditions, Roytblat said some European operators had expressed concern over “slow progress of studies” in that area. Some have said that after Sept. 11 attacks, such radiocommunications issues had become more “urgent,” he said. As for resolutions for Little LEOs (Low-Earth Orbiting satellites), Roytblat said Europeans were taking strong position against additional allocations, “so we may have an uphill battle there.” One pending resolution -- 1.16 -- would consider allocations on worldwide basis for feeder links in bands around 1.4 GHz to non-GSO mobile satellite service with service links operating below 1 GHz. Another resolution for WRC -- 1.20 -- would consider additional allocations on worldwide basis for non-GSO MSS.
In area of regulatory measures to protect earth-to-space feeder links for MSS operations at 5150-5250 MHz, one draft U.S. proposal would protect feeder uplinks from interference from fixed and mobile services. It would include limiting such devices to indoor applications to “provide reasonable regulatory measures for the protection of MSS feeder links from interference from mobile and fixed service transmitters while not unduly burdening the growth of those services.” Another draft proposal from Working Group 2 focused on WRC agenda item on review of studies on radionavigation satellite service (RNSS). WRC meeting in 2000 had agreed to additional allocations to RNSS in 1260-1300 MHz band, which would make entire band from 1215-1300 MHz available for that service. Studies are centered on need for power flux density limit for RNSS operations so they don’t cause harmful interference to radionavigation and radiolocation services that are allocated on co-primary basis in that band for use of long-range primary radar systems. U.S. preliminary view is that there’s no need to impose power flux density limit in that band. It proposes that use of radionavigation satellite service in that band be conditioned on causing no harmful interference to authorized radionavigation service in that spectrum.
At WRC Advisory Committee meeting, NTIA’s Karl Nebbia had said aviation industry still was expressing concerns “on some of these approaches. We are still debating that.” Representative of Industry Working Group 2 said Executive Branch concerns hadn’t been expressed at its recent meetings.
Another draft proposal focused on WRC agenda item on additional allocations to MSS in 1-3 GHz band. In 2000 meeting in Istanbul, WRC had considered proposals for allocation to MSS at 1518-1525 MHz in Regions 1 and 3. Draft U.S. proposal said sharing studies had been conducted that concluded that sharing between MSS and flight aeronautical telemetry in that band wasn’t possible. Carried over in this draft is U.S. preliminary proposal that there be no new allocation to MSS in 1492-1525 MHz band because of incompatibility between aeronautical telemetry and MSS systems in that part of spectrum. U.S. also objected to additional MSS allocations in Regions 1 and 3 in existing bands.