Millimeter Wave Spectrum for 5G Seen Focus of Big WRC-19 Action, if Not Fights
A lot of the time and effort at 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) will likely involve agenda item 1.13 on millimeter wave spectrum for international mobile telecom operations, said government and industry experts at a Satellite 2019 panel Wednesday. It's less clear whether those discussions will be contentious. With that many delegates and nations, "there's always a contest of some sort," said Ken Turner, deputy director-spectrum policy and programs, DOD Chief Information Office.
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The big fight at every WRC "is the agenda item you don't pick as your priority" and think will be wrapped up quickly, said NTIA International Spectrum Policy Division Chief Charles Glass. Most WRCs usually have one or two highly politicized items, he said: "This one -- about six." Item 1.13, meanwhile, has numerous administrations committed to coming to agreement, he said.
Intelsat Vice President-Spectrum Strategy Hazem Moakkit sees 1.13 as more disputed. He said there's no clear position, with viewpoints "very much in flux" across regions and no outline for agreement. EchoStar Senior Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Jennifer Manner said, short of broad recognition, multiple technologies are going to be part of the 5G universe, and "we will be in some fights.” She said a satellite industry focus will be protecting some bands above 24 GHz for earth stations and user terminals against terrestrial 5G interfering in the spectrum, with satellite seeing some of those bands as "critical."
WRC experts also cited item 7 on such matters as use of milestones for non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service systems, as likely being a major focus of the conference this fall in Egypt. The plethora of issues contained in the item "really is a conference unto itself," Glass said.
Glass said for the U.S., a satellite item of particular focus is 1.7, enabling short-duration mission NGSOs. Such systems are proliferating "at an ungodly rate" and ensuring telemetry and command and control spectrum for them should be prioritized, he said.
An area of concern is the push for a 2023 agenda item that would expand terrestrial access to C band, Moakkit said. He said there's general agreement about taking a milestone approach, with disagreements over which milestones and when a network would be considered effective. He said emerging technologies often are looking for a regulatory framework that gives them some certitude, and item 1.6 on wireless access systems use of 5150-5925 MHz could be critical to emerging space services. Leonardo de Morais, chairman of Brazilian regulator Anatel, said 1.6 could be contentious because it involves some overlapping issues with 1.13.
Glass said administrations have started to understand the need for less rule rigidity and more flexibility in the face of ongoing, fast-paced market demands. He said there's some movement toward more use of recommendations instead of regulations so as not to impede commercial operations. He said a big question is whether that momentum continues beyond WRC-19.
The Satellite Industry Association, in its state of the industry report unveiled Wednesday, said operational satellites in orbit last year topped 2,100, up more than 20 percent from 2018. More than 300 satellites launched. Remote sensing satellites account for 39 percent of the cumulative total, commercial satcom 22 percent. Satellite industry revenue globally grew 3 percent to $277 billion, with manufacturing revenue up 26 percent and launch services up 34 percent. Satellite services revenue fell 1.7 percent due to satellite TV and transponder leasing markets.