WRC-23: Representing Europe

By Alexandre Kholod, Chairman of the Conference Preparatory Group, European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)

The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) process involves a lot of effort to reach consensus on a wide range of spectrum and space-related issues. But this process is crucial for managing and harmonizing the use of finite spectrum resources.

European regulators and policymakers, supported by industry and other stakeholders, are actively engaged through the conference preparatory group (CPG) of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT).

The principal task is to develop and agree on European common proposals for the work of the conference. To address the different issues on the WRC‑23 agenda, the preparatory group has organized activities through five project teams, each with a well-defined scope and area of responsibilities.

For each agenda item, CEPT coordinators have been nominated to mobilize preparations and ensure effective CEPT engagement in meetings of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU–R) over the coming months, as well as at the conference itself in late 2023.

For the first time, CEPT has also appointed a coordinator for the Network of Women for WRC‑23, welcoming this initiative of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau to encourage and empower more women to participate.

Overcoming obstacles

Restrictions imposed due to the COVID‑19 pandemic in the last three years have inevitably affected the WRC‑23 preparatory cycle. Despite this, CEPT has made good progress on key agenda items and topics — working remotely through online meetings in 2020–2021 and holding hybrid meetings (with simultaneous physical and remote attendance) thereafter.

In particular, preliminary CEPT positions have been defined for all issues on the table, with a European common proposal being already well advanced for many of them.

Among the roughly 25 items and topics on the WRC‑23 agenda, some have so far been given special attention in the contributions received by the preparatory group (see figure).

Future of UHF broadcasting

The highest-profile issue is probably the future of the ultra-high frequency (UHF) broadcasting band.

There is a lot at stake here for European industries, including television broadcast, programme-making and special events (PMSE), public protection and disaster relief (PPDR), and mobile communications. CEPT is looking closely at all aspects of UHF broadcasting, aiming to propose a sustainable long-term solution for this band.

Opening the 6 GHz band to 5G

Another important issue relates to the potential identification of the upper 6 gigahertz (GHz) band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), specifically open more capacity for 5G — or IMT for 2020 and beyond — in urban areas. The possibility of making this spectrum available for Wi-FI use, together with protecting incumbent services in the same band, including point-to-point links and satellite reception, brings additional complexity to the discussions.

As we approach next year’s worldwide radiocommunication gathering, CEPT also hopes for global harmonization in the use of geostationary satellite orbit and non-geostationary satellite orbit (GSO and NGSO) fixed-satellite service (FSS) networks, that would provide connectivity to aircraft and vessels in the Ku- and Ka- bands. Furthermore, CEPT seeks to set clear rules for unmanned aircraft controlled via FSS networks, recognizing safety concerns on aviation routes.

Another priority for CEPT at WRC‑23 is the need for regulatory certainty and international recognition for space weather sensors.

Further steps

The next major milestone for CEPT’s conference preparatory group will be the second conference preparatory meeting (CPM23‑2), taking place from 27 March to 6 April 2023 (see conference preparation timeline). The group’s two last meetings will be devoted to finalizing and agreeing on the European common proposals to be submitted to WRC‑23.

Throughout the run-up process, our European preparatory group will maintain dialogue and cooperation with other regional organizations. Our ultimate goal, as all of us recognize, is a successful conference for all regions and their industry stakeholders.

This article first appeared in the ITU News Magazine, which outlines key technical and regional perspectives on topics to be discussed at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) taking place in Dubai, UAE, between 20 November and 15 December 2023.

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