Podcast: What does spectrum policy have to do with freedom of speech?

Politics and spectrum regulation will always be intertwined. Within a country’s borders, PolicyTracker typically covers stories about mobile operators disagreeing with independent regulators or the government over licence conditions, pricing, auction designs or disputes over mergers.

At the international regulatory level, however, other topics are raised: cross-border interference, geopolitical tensions, equipment or service bans and multimillion-dollar company interests.

Nunes has been monitoring the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-RThe International Telecommunication U…) since 2020, taking note of how regulation is formed and whether civil society’s interests are always at the heart of a decision.

In this episode of our podcast, we discuss the rise of Starlink and its LEONGSO, or non-geostationary satellite orbit… constellation and how these rapid changes have affected the ITU.

Is SpaceX the company to bring freedom of speech to places where censorship is in place, or does its presence bring more imbalance to an already unstable geopolitical situation?

We discuss the Huawei ban and the need for more transparency within standards bodies.

Nunes also brings up the 6 GHz discussion and how it relates to closing the digital divide. According to her, variety, rather than exclusive licences, is the way to bridge the digital divide.

Listen to the full conversation below. You can also find it on all major podcast platforms.