Gerry Oberst

The opening of CommunicAsia comes at what could be the beginning of a new era in the Asia-Pacific region. For many years, the satellite communications sector has viewed the region […]

A working document from the European Parliament assesses the mid-term status of the European Union’s satellite navigation program, which consists of a geostationary system called EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay […]

We wrote a year ago (Via Satellite July 2009) about efforts by the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to remove unused frequency assignments and networks from […]

“Space has been one of the hidden success stories of British industry in recent years.” So begins a comprehensive report issued in early February by a joint U.K. government, industry […]

Network neutrality is a hot topic in the United States that is generally viewed to apply to Internet services and IP networks. Although this topic arose in the United States […]

A committee of the United Nations dedicated to the peaceful use of outer space has proposed the creation of a U.N. space policy. Would this be a good thing? Is […]

Two important changes to the European legal landscape occurred in November with implications that will spill forward into the satellite field for years to come. First, steps to ratify the […]

The European Commission sponsored a two-day conference in October in Brussels to discuss “The Ambitions of Europe in Space.” European big guns Jose Barroso, newly reappointed president of the European […]

Conflicting signals are coming from Europe on the role of satellite infrastructure in future broadband networks. The satellite industry is, of course, insisting to European policymakers that satellite has a […]

The U.K. government initiated two consultations this summer that will have an impact on the satellite industry as a whole. Both are initiatives of the newly-renamed Department for Business Innovation […]

The U.K. regulator Ofcom contributed to "Understanding the Environmental Impact of Communications Systems" when it released a study by that name in July. The report, part of Ofcom’s technology

On both sides of the Atlantic, policymakers are devising programs to ensure that citizens have access to broadband services. For its part, the European Union (EU) has included funding for […]

The Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) apparently is following a new "get tough" approach with member states that do not follow the rules on putting communications […]

The European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) has been especially active recently, and in early April released its latest report, "Space-based services in Europe." The report’s goal is to investigate challenges […]

Only a few months before a defunct Russian Cosmos satellite smashed into an operational Iridium satellite, the Council of the European Union was debating a draft Code of Conduct for […]

Satellite communication licensing fees are a normal part of the cost of doing business in this industry. There are times, however, when governments lose sight of the financial structure of […]

Is the security threat to satellites from possible terrorist acts being taken sufficiently seriously? The European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) thinks not and issued an article in January, titled "The […]

Efficient Use of Satellite Orbits and Frequencies The Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) plans to hold a one-day workshop May 6 in Geneva, on the efficient use of

What’s eating the European Commission about observing international radio regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)? And how much authority will the Commission be given in pending legislative changes to […]

Europe is working on a substantial overhaul to the regulatory framework for electronic communications, with changes large and small that will affect the satellite industry. One series of changes, which […]

Green Satellite Update This column noted in May that the satellite industry was starting to make the case that it is environmentally responsible against the backdrop of the concern over climate change

European satellite operators had their summer plans cut short when the European Commission in early August issued the structure for selecting mobile satellite service (MSS) systems in the 2 GHz […]

European policy makers are seeking a more coordinated strategy for using satellite resources for their national security and defense, but these efforts could be stymied by a key legal development in 2008. In

Europe funds a substantial number of space-related research projects, with the vast bulk of money in recent years directed to the Galileo navigation satellite system and to the Global Monitoring […]

The European Commission has acted as an observer at committees and conferences of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) since 1988. Now a proposal is on the table for Europe to […]

Reform of the overall electronic communications regulatory framework remains the main regulatory topic in Europe this year. Twin themes of technology and service neutrality are part of the European Commission’s […]

Is the satellite industry green? The issue of the environmental impact of satellites was raised by Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta at the SATELLITE 2008 conference in February. “It’s the only […]

Europe took a closer step toward creating a common space policy in December when it adopted amendments in the Treaty of Lisbon to permit the European Union to participate in […]

Europe, as well as the rest of the world, is gearing up for the switchover from analog to digital television, and since digital TV will use radio spectrum more efficiently, […]

The contrast between U.S. and European spectrum allocation responsibilities reveals a central difference in management. The European structure, however, may change in the next couple of years, with possibly a […]