Scrambling for Space in Space
ITU Plenipotentiary to Tackle ‘Paper Satellite’ Problem

Geneva, 16 September 2002 — The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) upholds the right of all nations — rich or poor — to equal affordable access to satellite orbit space. However, there is an urgent need to reduce an avalanche of applications for satellite ‘slots’, many for systems that will never leave earth. These ‘speculative’ systems are known as ‘Paper Satellites’.

According to Mr Robert Jones, Director, ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, the "massive overfiling is due to a number of factors including the realization of the growing economic value of the scarce spectrum and orbital resources." While he acknowledges the practice of overfilling is "completely economically rational", he states that besides blocking access to spectrum and orbital resources, ‘paper satellites’ result in a significant waste of resources on the part of satellite operators, administrations and ITU. "With the current level of overfilling, additional resources are needed to eliminate the backlog in any reasonable time-frame." The backlog of satellites awaiting coordination stands at 1,200, with ITU receiving between 400-500 requests for new systems each year.

The huge world demand for satellite-based telecommunication services has seen steady growth during the past 15 years. This has been a boon for service providers and consumers alike but it has resulted in a densely packed orbital space neighbourhood and a scramble for desirable orbital slots. This rush for prime orbital real estate could well increase as new services such as third generation mobile telephony and proposed broadband access systems that envisage high-speed wireless connections through large constellations of rapidly moving satellites become a reality.

The challenge for ITU, notes Mr Jones, is that because no two radio systems, including satellite responders, can operate on exactly the same frequency and in the same orbital position without causing harmful interference to one another, global coordination of radio frequency applications is essential. "Radio frequencies and the geostationary satellite orbit are limited natural resources and must be used rationally, efficiently and economically."

The problem of 'paper satellites' has been recognized for years, however, satellite operators have been reluctant to pay processing fees and some developing countries argue that fees contravene the international principles of fair and equitable access to orbital slots and the frequency spectrum that governs them. Despite this, four years ago at the Plenipotentiary conference in Minneapolis a sliding scale fee was implemented. While these fees and other efficiencies implemented by ITU have gone some way to discourage casual filing, over-filing of 'paper satellites' remains an issue. One of the important issues expected to be tackled by the Marrakesh Plenipotentiary, is the question of what action to take if administrations filing a satellite coordination request fail to pay their processing fee and whether to bring into effect the decision taken by the 2000 World Radio Conference to cancel automatically any filing for which fees have not been settled within a six month period. There will no doubt be arguments from some nations, mostly in the developing world, that arbitrary cancellation effectively contravenes their right to unrestricted access to the orbit. With opinions strongly polarized over an issue that many argue currently favours rich over poor, the question of non-payment of fees seems certain to be a future source of vigorous debate.

The Plenipotentiary Conference is the top policy-making body of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Held every four years, the Conference sets the Union's general policies, adopts the strategic and financial plans and elects the senior management team of the organization, the members of Council and the members of the Radio Regulations Board. In other words, it is the key event at which ITU Member States decide on the future role of the organization, thereby determining the organization's ability to influence and affect the development of issues such as convergence, the Internet, universal access and electronic commerce. This year, the Conference will take on an even more crucial role in determining what role ITU can play in shaping the telecommunication sector of the 21st century.

1,500 top-ranking delegates from all regions of the world are expected to attend the sixteenth Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union, which will be held in Marrakesh, Morocco from 23 September to 18 October 2002 at the Palais des Congrès.

For a more detailed feature report on the issue of Paper Satellites, click here  or on other issues to be raised at the Plenipotentiary conference, consult the media backgrounder.

For media accreditation,  click here.