Five years ago, the satellite industry achieved what many argued at the time was a stunning victory when it managed to retain key C-band spectrum against a ferocious challenge from the telecoms industry at the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-2007). Because of this, Via Satellite awarded a “Satellite Executive of the Year” award (one of three) to Kengi Chen, vice president, operations engineering, Inmarsat, in 2007. Via Satellite caught up with Chen as well as executives from Intelsat, SES and Eutelsat after the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-2012), to see whether this year’s event was just as beneficial for the industry as the one in 2007 and to find out what concerns they have for WRC-2015.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) hosts the WRC events in an effort to ensure spectrum issues are resolved and the global communications eco-system performs as efficiently as possible. Hamadoun Touré, secretary general, ITU, says that the satellite industry should be pleased with the results of WRC-2012, as it still has a vital role to play in areas such as broadcasting. But, he also admits that the potential conflict between the satellite industry and the telecoms industry over bandwidth is pretty much a given. “The spectrum requirements of satellite and terrestrial communications networks may enter in conflict, as they did at WRC-2007, but WRC-2015 will address the requirements of the mobile service for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT),” he says.

The satellite industry will have to bring solid arguments to WRC-2015 to maintain its current allocations. Touré attributes this challenge to the extent of expected requirements to cope with a smartphone-driven increase in mobile data traffic.

“The satellite industry had very convincing arguments at WRC-2007, but they will be even more convincing if the regulatory changes to improve the efficient use of spectrum/orbit resources and the practice by stakeholders have clearly modified the environment by WRC-2015,” says Touré.

A conflict between the telecoms and satellite industries seems almost certain, but Touré hopes work between now and then can somewhat mitigate the fallout. “Clearly, the major challenge at WRC-2015 will be Agenda Item 1.1 (additional mobile allocations and IMT identifications), since it may touch many current allocations below 6 GHz,” he says. “The Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM15-1), which met immediately after WRC-2012 decided to create a joint task group within the ITU-R sector to ensure that the preparation of WRC-2015 in this respect is absolutely neutral. This measure goes a long way to facilitating WRC-2015 decisions on this agenda item. Half of the 18 WRC-2015 non-recurring agenda items will consider additional allocations to satellite services or specific uses within these services, like IMT, UAS or Earth stations onboard vessels.”

Therefore, a large chunk of attention at WRC-2015, according to Touré, will be devoted to responding to the spectrum requirements of satellite services. “I think we reached the point at WRC-2012 where no party could reasonably expect to get more,” he says. “All new allocations were made on the basis of regulatory and technical provisions that provide sufficient protection to existing services while encouraging new ones. I believe that this is the type of optimum that the ITU is looking for at every WRC.”

The victory in 2007 to protect C-band spectrum may have ended a battle, but not the war, as telecoms and wireless industries continue to set their sights on gaining access to more spectrum. Chen admits that the WRC-12 conference could be seen as a potential source of disappointment for the industry.

“One disappointment was the fact that no satellite band was specifically excluded from consideration in the new agenda item 1.1 for WRC-2015, dealing with identification of spectrum for IMT,” says Chen. “Following the thorough discussion on C-band in WRC-2007, there should be no need to consider this band again so soon.”

Spectrum Battle

The spectrum battle is not going away any time soon. Jose Albuquerque, Intelsat’s senior director of spectrum strategy, believes that the spectrum battle between the terrestrial and satellite sectors was not the central issue of the 2012 conference, but will very much be the focus of WRC-2015. “IMT have again succeeded in including an agenda item to consider new allocations to the mobile service and identify new spectrum for IMT,” says Albuquerque. “There were no frequency bands specifically excluded from consideration for this WRC-2015 agenda item, so the next couple of years will provide a very interesting debate between the terrestrial mobile broadband community and all other spectrum users.”

Albuquerque believes the danger of the satellite sector being crowded out could become a very real possibility and that efforts have to continue to make sure it does not happen. “Modifying the satellite rules to encourage more efficient use of spectrum will continue to be an evolutionary process, as will the effort to promote equitable access to orbital and spectral rights for developing countries,” he says. “It is becoming more apparent that more spectrum alone cannot solve the capacity problems that the IMT/terrestrial broadband community claims to have. The crowding out of all other services for the benefit of one also cannot be the solution, given that those other services provide critical and valuable services that IMT/terrestrial broadband wireless cannot provide.”

WRC-2012 did not have the same level of spectrum drama as WRC-2007, but did provide a lot of positives for the satellite industry, according to Albuquerque. Contrary to Chen, Albuquerque believes there were no significant disappointments for Intelsat or the satellite industry at WRC-2012 and admits to being surprised at how vibrant the discussions were regarding studies that will take into account the interests of the terrestrial and satellite sectors. “Although a small reduction of the arc that triggers coordination between two satellite networks was approved by the conference, in our view, a larger reduction would further simplify the coordination process without any risk of increasing the likelihood of interference,” he adds.

The main consensus was that issues regarding satellites filings were properly addressed, giving much needed clarity in this area. Albuquerque explains that prior to WRC-2012, there was no clarity regarding what had to be done to definitively bring a satellite filing into use. “The conference now eliminated that uncertainty and we believe this is very good news for the industry as a whole. Clarity was also given in a number of other parts of the Radio Regulations, which are helpful to operators and governments,” he says.

Kim Baum, director of spectrum development and policy at SES, agrees that there was significant movement for the issue of satellite filing. Baum explains that SES’ goal was to increase the clarity and predictability in radio regulations so that the satellite operators have greater certainty when to proceed to build and launch a satellite. “We were pleased with the WRC outcome in that regard, particularly in defining what constitutes bringing into use a satellite network filing; clarifying that planned BSS is also subject to the same suspension rules as apply in other frequency bands; and avoiding immediate cancellation of satellite network filings based on unsubstantiated claims of harmful interference,” she says.

Ethan Lavan, director of orbital resources at Eutelsat, says that the unlikely success of reaching an agreement on truly significant reforms and clarifications in satellite procedures at WRC-2012 was a major breakthrough for the satellite industry as a whole, “particularly in establishing clear and rational rules for bringing into use and suspension of satellite networks,” he adds.

Updates

Chen says that WRC-2012 agenda item 7, dealing with updates to the regulatory provisions for the satellite frequency coordination process, was probably the main issue from the satellite industry’s perspective. “The key topic discussed within this agenda item was the provision for bringing an ITU filing into use (DBIU),” says Chen. “This provision was not very clear with regards to the time period a satellite would be required to be in an orbital location in order to BIU a filing. The conference defined a minimum period of 90 days for the BIU of a filing. We believe this decision will contribute towards a more efficient utilization of the orbital arc.”

The satellite industry also achieved developments in access to Ku-band spectrum at the event. This was especially important for international satellite operators that are still seeing heavy demands for Ku-band capacity, says Baum. “In addition, the WRC clearly foresaw the need for additional Ku-band FSS spectrum, adopting an agenda item seeking 250 MHz to 300 MHz additional spectrum depending on the ITU region. We believe additional Ku-band spectrum will assist the industry and administrations around the world in implementing new satellite systems, particularly in congested portions of the arc.”

SES notes that there was headway on other issues as well, including progress on improving the due diligence information that must be submitted regarding satellite networks. “While just for the 21.4 GHz to 22 GHz band at this stage, we believe that the improved version of the due diligence process adopted for that frequency band will significantly improve the quality of information submitted to the ITU regarding real satellite networks,” says Baum.

MSS operator Inmarsat has a slightly different agenda than SES and Intelsat, but, like its FSS counterparts, was pleased that certain mobile spectrum assets were safeguarded. Chen says that dealing with AMS(R)S access in the L-band was a key issue for Inmarsat at WRC-12. “The agreed outcome was based on a compromise solution developed by Inmarsat and ESA,” he says. “The compromise was a fine balance between providing more transparency in the coordination process and the need to ensure the confidentiality of this process, and we expect that the outcome will ensure that AMS(R)S systems continue to get adequate access to L-band spectrum.”

However, aside from the positive news on the filing issues, not everything went the satellite industry’s way at WRC-2012. Industry executives expressed disappointment about rulings — or lack of — relating to UAVs. Chen believes that the use of FSS networks to support the growing need for UAS requirements was not resolved at WRC-2012 and will be considered again at WRC-2015.

The requests for new spectrum at WRC-2012 will pale in comparison to what Baum expects at WRC-2015. She believes the satellite industry will need to gear up for another attack on satellite spectrum in lower frequency bands from the terrestrial mobile community, “potentially in L-, S- and C-band,” Baum says. “From our perspective, we believe that satellite remains a cornerstone of the communications infrastructure around the world, whether C-band cable head-ends in the United States or basic telecommunications connectivity for communities in Africa and Asia.”

A Need To Mobilize

David Hartshorn, secretary general, Global VSAT Forum, believes that the satellite industry will need to mobilize during the next three years to maintain the accomplishments made in previous years. He says that WRC-2012 demonstrated that the satellite industry needs a renewed defensive position. “Agenda Item 8.2 at WRC-2012 included a successful effort by the wireless industry to seek additional bands at WRC-2015,” says Hartshorn. “The wireless industry’s appetite for new spectrum is voracious, and between now and the next WRC in 2015 our industry is going to have to make its value proposition clear like never before.”

Pressure on control of satellite bands is nothing new for the industry and has been increasing for some time. Prior to WRC-2012, Hartshorn was already noticing increased IMT pressure on satellite spectrum. Following the global WiMAX industry’s failed effort to secure C-band in 2007, the LTE sector has now begun probing the perimeter for C-band satellite spectrum. Hartshorn says satellite is being tested by the wireless industry in other key bands, as well.

“Take your pick: Qualcomm, the Utilities Telecom Council and others have been pursuing Ku-band sharing,” says Hartshorn. “Various national administrations have been considering shared Ka-band. And most recently, an FCC proceeding has been initiated to examine the use of V-band for wireless services. With the WRC-2012 decision on Agenda Item 8.2 — which potentially puts all bands on the negotiating table — battle lines are being drawn for WRC-2015. As one ITU official said recently, our industry is going to need courage.”

Despite the odds, Hartshorn is convinced the satellite industry can prevail again and believes that the same community of interest that defended C-band at WRC-2007 will rise to the challenge to protect all satellite bands at WRC-2015. “Thanks to the increasingly ubiquitous reach of satellite services today, our industry has more new allies than ever before,” he says. “Governments, industries and consumers alike are stakeholders in the satellite service value proposition. We have already begun enlisting their support. Don’t get me wrong; it won’t be easy, but I’m confident that the satellite industry will prevail… again.”