INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION 
UNION
 



The Implications 
and Decisions of 
WRC-95
Keynote Presentation by Dr. 
Pekka Tarjanne, Secretary-
General, International 
Telecommunication Union
Global Mobile and 
Satellite 
Communications ‘95 
Conference
Brussels, 28 November 
1995

Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I’m very happy to be 
here today to talk to 
you about the 1995 
World 
Radiocommunication 
Conference, which 
wound up 10 days ago 
in Geneva. WRC-95 was 
a Conference of 
superlatives.  It was 
one of the biggest 
Conferences ever held 
by the ITU, one of 
the most complex, and 
one of the most 
important.  Lasting 
"only" four weeks, 
it was also one of 
our shorter 
Conferences.  In 
traditional fashion, 
we sat an all-night 
session on the 
penultimate day, and 
the final Plenary 
took place at 8:00 in 
the morning of 
Saturday, 18 
November,  - a time 
when delegates should 
already have been on 
their way home to 
rejoin families and 
friends they had not 
seen for a month.
We at the ITU 
sometimes refer to 
these lengthy final 
debates as ‘consensus 
by exhaustion’. This 
year we made the most 
strenuous efforts to 
avoid this situation 
by streamlining the 
document approval 
process and keeping 
discussion firmly 
focused on the 
specific issues 
outlined in our 
agenda.  The fact 
that we were, in the 
end, unable to 
totally avoid the 
familiar ‘all-
nighters’ is, I 
believe, not an 
indication of our 
failure to improve 
our efficiency. 
Rather, it reflects 
the enormous growth 
in the demand for new 
technologies in 
today’s environment 
of global 
communications 
systems, the enormous 
amount of money at 
stake in building 
these systems, and 
the enormous value of 
ITU decisions. 
According to our 
informal 
calculations, some 
$35 billion in new 
investments was on 
the line at WRC-95.
The field of 
radiocommunications 
is becoming 
increasingly complex, 
both technologically, 
and in the sheer 
number of different 
services in use or 
planned. The 
associated regulatory 
problems are great 
and become global, 
and more and more 
time is needed to 
ensure that new 
developments are 
encouraged and 
accommodated while at 
the same time 
protecting the rights 
of nations to the 
resources they rely 
on.
The history of the 
World 
Radiocommunication 
Conferences goes back 
a long way. They have 
existed, in one form 
or another, for at 
least 50 years. This 
year, we welcomed 
1,223 delegates from 
140 countries, as 
well as 78 
participants from 
international and 
regional 
organizations.
From its earliest 
days, 100 years ago, 
radiocommunications 
has been a science 
quick to exploit new 
developments. In its 
first 50 years alone, 
engineers had 
developed radar, 
sound and television 
broadcasting, 
transoceanic 
telephone services, 
radionavigation and 
radioastronomy. More 
recently, microwave 
and satellite 
systems, High 
Definition TV, 
digital sound 
broadcasting, and 
highly sophisticated 
mobile communications 
systems have been 
added to the ever-
growing list.
So, as you can see, 
the WRCs have always 
had a lot on their 
plate, and look 
likely to continue to 
do so as we move 
towards the age of 
personal satellite 
communications, 
satellite global 
positioning systems, 
and other, as-yet-
undreamt-of 
technologies.
This year’s 
conference had two 
key items on its 
agenda - a 
simplification of the 
Radio Regulations, 
and facilitation of 
access to the radio 
frequency spectrum 
for the upcoming new 
satellite services. 
For the ITU, it was 
also an important 
opportunity to test 
its new streamlined 
structure and working 
methods, which were 
developed at the 
Additional 
Plenipotentiary 
Conference held in 
Geneva in 1992.
The Radio 
Regulations, as many 
of you will know, are 
the international 
treaty agreement on 
the international use 
of 
radiocommunications. 
They define the way 
the radio frequency 
spectrum can be used, 
and the rights and 
obligations of 
nations in managing 
this valuable 
resource. The need to 
simplify the 
Regulations was 
recognized formally 
in 1989 at the Nice 
Plenipotentiary 
Conference, and a 
Voluntary Group of 
Experts was set up to 
study the issues. The 
resulting ‘VGE 
Report’ formed the 
basis for discussion 
at this year’s WRC.
The changes in the 
Regulations were 
necessitated not only 
by the need to 
modernize in the 
light of technical 
developments, but 
also to improve their 
efficiency and to 
reflect political 
changes. The 
Regulations need to 
promote technological 
development, while at 
the same time 
respecting the needs 
of existing services 
with considerable 
investment.
I’m pleased to be 
able to tell you 
today that our work 
proceeded very well, 
largely due to the 
important groundwork 
laid by the VGE. 
Almost all of their 
recommendations were 
accepted, and we 
encountered only one 
serious stumbling 
block, relating to 
the international 
status of frequency 
assignments recorded 
in the Master 
International 
Frequency Register. 
The conference was 
almost equally 
divided on this 
matter, and it will 
now be reviewed again 
at WRC-97.
One of the perennial 
problems we at the 
ITU wrestle with is 
how to accommodate 
the ever-increasing 
demand for radio 
frequency spectrum to 
support the plethora 
of new services under 
development. We are 
fortunate that clever 
radiocommunication 
engineers continue to 
find new ways to make 
better, more 
efficient use of this 
limited and very 
precious resource. 
Technologies such as 
spread spectrum have 
the potential to 
greatly improve the 
ability of services 
to share the radio 
frequency spectrum 
without risk of 
interference to one 
another. 
Nevertheless, demand 
always seems to 
outstrip supply, and 
it is the ITU’s 
regulatory challenge 
to foster an 
environment which 
will promote the 
development of 
important and 
beneficial new 
services, while 
ensuring at the same 
time that all 
countries and 
services have an 
equitable share of 
the available 
spectrum.
Our second key agenda 
item this year was 
access to spectrum 
for the new 
generation of mobile 
satellites commonly 
referred to as Big 
and Little LEOs. 
These systems carry 
with them the promise 
of seamless global 
personal 
communications for 
everyone, regardless 
of their location or 
the quality of the 
local 
telecommunication 
infrastructure. They 
have great potential 
to change 
fundamentally the way 
information is 
exchanged, and to 
help many countries 
overcome economic 
constraints or the 
‘tyranny of 
distance’.
Development is one of 
the three primary 
functions of the ITU, 
and is always high on 
our agenda. We must 
remember that while 
we in Europe wait 
impatiently the new 
broadband 
communications 
services that will 
allow us to take 
advantage of


technologies like 
video-on-demand and 
mobile data via 
satellite, an 
overwhelming number 
of people - some two 
thirds of the world’s 
population - have 
never even had the 
opportunity to make a 
normal telephone 
call.
It is my belief that 
these new Personal 
Communications 
Systems offer one of 
the best 
opportunities for the 
less-developed 
countries to ‘catch 
up’ with the richer 
nations. Such systems 
obviate the need for 
a huge investment in 
national land lines 
and other national 
telecommunications 
infrastructure, which 
has long been an 
insurmountable 
stumbling block in 
the developing world. 
Given appropriate 
access to these 
systems, the world’s 
poorer countries have 
a real chance to 
‘leapfrog’ ahead, and 
join their wealthier 
siblings in the 
emerging Global 
Information 
Infrastructure.
Our challenge at WRC-
95 was providing 
timely access to 
spectrum for the 
Mobile Satellite 
Services (MSS), 
particularly in the 2 
GHz band, while 
protecting the fixed 
terrestrial services 
which also make 
extensive use of this 
band. These 
terrestrial services 
are vital to the 
communications 
networks of many 
developing and 
developed countries, 
who use them to 
service remote 
communities or to 
reach areas where the 
land-line-based 
telecommunications 
infrastructure is 
inadequate. Until the 
new PCS services are 
readily available, 
and within the reach 
of all the world’s 
citizens, we must 
ensure that some 
don’t experience 
‘service development’ 
as ‘service 
degradation’.
As expected, debate 
on the issue was 
vigorous and 
valuable, and I’m 
pleased to report 
that we reached an 
agreement that 
satisfied most 
delegations. Mobile 
satellite services 
will be able to make 
use of the spectrum, 
but comprehensive 
measures will be put 
in place to ensure 
that existing 
services are not 
adversely affected.
As to the 
implementation by the 
ITU of new and better 
working methods, I 
feel we can claim a 
qualified success. We 
did manage to avoid 
large numbers of late 
night sessions, which 
are undesirable from 
both the point of 
view of cost, and 
from the point of 
view of constructive 
debate. It is hard 
for the conference to 
work well when 
everyone is 
exhausted, and there 
is the danger that 
important discussions 
can be overlooked or 
cut short simply 
because no-one has 
the stamina to 
continue. In an area 
as important as the 
future of global 
communications, this 
is not acceptable.
The ITU will continue 
to work towards the 
goal of keeping 
within the 
established timeframe 
while permitting full 
and considered debate 
on important issues. 
A possible solution 
is to have more of 
the work of the 
conference carried 
out by groups working 
during the 
intervening years 
between each WRC. It 
may also be desirable 
to shorten the length 
of the conference, so 
less time is wasted 
at the beginning and 
key issues are dealt 
with at an earlier 
stage.
The world in which 
the ITU works today 
is very different 
from the one in which 
it was born, 130 
years ago. During 
this year’s WRC I 
heard many remark on 
the increasing 
commercial flavour of 
the event. This is 
undoubtedly true, and 
is a trend I have 
noticed pervading not 
just this conference 
but many aspects of 
the ITU’s business 
during the six years 
I have been 
Secretary-General.
No longer the 
province of technical 
experts working 
behind the scenes, 
radiocommunications 
has decidedly become 
‘big business’. More 
and more people are 
using this technology 
in their everyday 
lives, be it in the 
form of cellular 
mobile phones, 
vehicle fleet 
navigation systems, 
or data exchange over 
computer networks via 
microwave links.
These new radio-based 
services are 
encouraging the 
growth of a whole new 
set of market 
players. These 
companies will 
compete aggressively 
for a share of new 
and developing 
markets, and their 
responsiveness to 
customer needs and 
strong market focus 
should enable many of 
them to find a 
profitable niche. 
Meanwhile, 
traditional public 
telecommunications 
operators will move 
rapidly into global 
markets, offering 
worldwide 
connectivity over 
mixed networks of 
fibre, radio and 
satellite. While 
these operators may 
find that their share 
of the total market 
decreases, the 
increase in market 
size and consumer 
demand should ensure 
that they 
nevertheless continue 
to experience growth. 
There will be room 
for everyone in the 
‘new information 
age."
Certainly, the demand 
from users is 
seemingly 
unquenchable. Today’s 
communications 
breakthroughs quickly 
become our bottom-
line expectations. We 
have all taken to 
global connectivity - 
whether it be voice 
or data - like ducks 
to water, and now 
demand faster speeds, 
higher quality, more 
bandwidth, and 
increased mobility. 
The new generation of 
radiocommunication 
services will go a 
long way to 
satisfying many of 
those needs.
For the ITU, this 
explosion in growth 
puts more and more 
demands on our 
resources. We need to 
be able to be more 
responsive than ever 
to a highly dynamic 
environment. It is 
our task to strike a 
balance between 
responsible 
regulation and 
technological trail-
blazing. We must not 
become a bottleneck, 
preventing the 
development of 
services which have 
the potential to 
benefit millions of 
users around the 
world. But we cannot 
lose sight of our 
responsibility to 
ensure that new 
services are properly 
researched and 
implemented, and do 
not cause 
unresolvable problems 
for users of existing 
services.
With new services 
being developed so 
quickly, it is often 
difficult to keep 
pace. While the WRCs 
are held every two 
years, it is 
increasingly the case 
that the environment 
has changed 
dramatically over 
that short period, 
and that new issues 
have come up that 
were not foreseen in 
the conference 
planning of just two 
year’s earlier. We 
dealt with just such 
an issue at WRC-95, 
in the form of the 
application for radio 
frequency spectrum 
for a new non-GSO 
Fixed Satellite 
Service. There were 
reservations 
expressed by some 
delegations as to 
whether this item was 
strictly on the 
agenda which had been 
prepared at WRC-93 
and approved by the 
1994 ITU Council. 
After consideration, 
the ITU decided to 
adopt a flexible 
approach on the 
matter, recognizing 
that it would not be 
in the general 
interest to forestall 
for another two years 
the potential 
benefits this kind of 
system has to offer. 
There is no doubt in 
my mind that we will 
increasingly have to 
be prepared to deal 
with unplanned-for 
issues in the future.
In recognition of 
this, and as a 
strategy to meet the 
needs of the dynamic 
marketplace in which 
we find ourselves, 
the ITU has recently 
established the World 
Telecommunication 
Policy Forum. The 
first Forum will be 
held in Geneva in 
October next year, 
and its charter will 
be to consider in-
depth the policy 
implications of the 
increasingly 
deregulated 
environment in which 
we all work. The 
theme of the first 
event will be, 
appropriately, Global 
Mobile Personal 
Communications by 
Satellite. I hope 
this event will be 
successful in 
determining the ITU’s 
role and best working 
practices to keep us 
relevant and 
efficient in the 
fast-changing years 
ahead.
Globalization is a 
concept we’ve all 
become very familiar 
with over the last 
ten years or so. In 
this short time-frame 
we’ve borne witness 
to some of the most 
profound 
technological changes 
the world has yet 
seen, with the 
popularization of 
both the mobile 
telephone and the 
personal computer, 
and the boom in use 
of the Internet and 
the WorldWide Web. 
These technologies, 
which were developed 
independently,


are today becoming 
increasingly inter-
dependent. The new 
‘global village’ will 
be interconnected via 
an immense network 
comprised of 
satellites, land and 
undersea cables, 
which will carry 
voice, data and 
images at high speed 
anywhere in the 
world.
Our emerging ‘global’ 
way of life has been 
most enthusiastically 
embraced. I believe 
today we are living 
through an era of 
change as fundamental 
as that which took 
place in Europe 
during the Industrial 
Revolution. Now, as 
then, we will not be 
able to predict all 
the implications this 
transformation will 
carry with it. 
Nevertheless, I have 
great hopes that the 
hard work we put in 
at WRC-95 will bring 
with it changes that 
will significantly 
improve the quality 
of life for everyone, 
regardless of their 
nationality or 
economic 
circumstances.
When we hold the next 
WRC in 1997, it will 
still be too early to 
see whether our work 
has borne fruit. But 
I have no doubt that 
at that conference we 
will face both new 
challenges, and new 
opportunities, and 
that we will continue 
to make great strides 
forward in our goal 
of accessible global 
communications for 
all. 
***



6


	

22.11.95 - 17:36