European preparations for WRC-12, the next World Radiocommunication Conference, scheduled to be held Jan. 23 through Feb. 17, 2012, in Geneva, Switzerland, have begun in earnest.

As usual, the agenda for the WRC-12 is packed. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council in November 2008 first adopted an agenda with more than 30 items relating to allocations and technical rules for almost all industry sectors that use radio frequencies, including, in particular, the satellite sector.

In mid-June, the European Commission and the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) sponsored a workshop in Brussels on these preparations to let outsiders know what they are doing. At the outset of the workshop, the organizers described how European policymakers have been developing European Common Positions (ECPs) that will define how the region approaches this very busy agenda. Currently the CEPT has developed 12 ECPs. The CEPT plan is to finalize a first set, with additional sets to be completed up to almost the last minute at a final meeting of the CEPT conference preparatory group in October 2011.

At the ITU level, preparations have been intense. ITU study groups have been active for about two-and-a-half years. Their input should be complete by July, and an ITU conference preparatory meeting report is scheduled for draft publication by early December, with a final due by April 2011.

Numerous agenda items of WRC-12 deal with space services. Long standing agenda item 7 concerns regulatory procedures for ITU registration of frequency assignments for satellite networks. This item is designed to periodically update the rules — the ITU’s Radiocommunication Bureau particularly is interested in improving these rules and has been holding workshops and other events on efficient use of spectrum and orbit resources. (The last workshop was in June in Singapore. The next such event is scheduled for Wroclaw, Poland, in September.) The CEPT already has proposed several modifications to these rules, including a change in rules that apply for orbit failures, tweaking some detailed interference rules and minimizing certain burdensome coordination requirements.

Another general agenda item with a possible impact on satellite is item 1.2, aimed at taking “appropriate action” to enhance the international regulatory framework. On satellite issues, the CEPT position already is “no change,” as there is sufficient flexibility in the present rules, in the view of European policy makers. Some tentative proposals to combine several satellite services now served by separate rules were shot down, based on the view that any meddling with these rules would lead to less efficiency.

Among the more specific agenda items relating to satellites are items 1.7 (spectrum availability and access to spectrum for the aeronautical mobile-satellite (R) service); 1.13 (rule for broadcasting satellite service to use frequencies in the 21 GHz band); 1.18 (a global primary allocation for radiodetermination-satellite service in the 2.4 GHz band); and 1.25 (possible additional allocations for mobile satellite services).

There also are many agenda items concerning scientific services that affect satellites as well. For example, agenda item 1.24 will consider the existing allocation to the meteorological-satellite service in part of the 7 GHz band. Nobody at the workshop challenged the scientific representatives’ passionate defense of global earth observation resources, space research and other items.

The only controversial discussion relating to satellites at the workshop concerned agenda item 1.7 on spectrum for aeronautical mobile satellite services used for safety applications, mainly aircraft traffic management. The aviation sector representative said current rules are not working and that its community is not assured of access to important spectrum resources even though it is supposed to have priority for safety service. This presentation was somewhat one-sided, according to a representative of the MSS sector, which also is entitled to use the same shared spectrum. The CEPT co-chairman of the meeting noted that there are two strong opposing interests.

The CEPT CPG is meeting again at the end of September/early October in Berlin to continue work on the European positions. The EU Radio Spectrum Policy Group also is preparing an updated opinion to reflect EU objectives. With less than 18 months to go, Europe is forging ahead on its WRC-12 views.

Gerry Oberst is a partner in the Hogan & Hartson Brussels office.