Weekly Wrap: Regulators get ready for WRC-27 

IRIS (Inter-Regional Information Session) is where the technical spine of WRC-27The World Radiocommunication Conference (W… starts becoming more tangible. Chairs of study groups discuss where studies stand and where coexistence issues might be challenging.

I attended meetings on Agenda Items 1.7 and 1.10 (71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz bands), as well as 1.13 (694-698 MHz and 2.7 GHz) and 1.8 (231.5-275 GHz and 275-700 GHz). 

During the Agenda Item 1.7 discussion, Geraldo Neto, Chair of the Sub-Working Group responsible for Agenda Item 1.7  within the ITU-RThe International Telecommunication U… Working Party 5D (WP 5D), explained that they’re currently working on different fronts. He leads the studies and discussions within WP 5D concerning the potential identification of new frequency bands for the terrestrial IMTInternational Mobile Telecommunications (I…, including 6G technologies, in 4400-4800 MHz, 7125-8400 MHz, 14.8-15.35 GHz  

“We’re halfway through the process and hopefully, based on these studies, we’ll be able to progress next year in the February meeting,” said Neto.

It won’t all be plain sailing. Neto suggests that there are some difficulties for the 4400-4800 MHz band, for which there is a “lack of consensus on technical assumptions for radio altimeters, and use of Recommendation ITU-R M.2059″. This also includes a disagreement on its applicability at different flight altitudes and scenarios, which is creating “divergence of views on how to proceed with the studies”.  

At the same time, participants were optimistic about the event’s outcomes. Alexander Kühn, in his role as Head of Section on International and National Spectrum management at the German regulatory authority, BNetzA, framed it well: “That’s a wrap! Three intense and very informative days of this first interregional information session are done, and it was a full success.”

Kühn was not the only one to suggest that the session went smoothly. What stood out in the comments from participants like Juan Cacace, from Access Partnership, was how different the format felt this time round. 

“This was a new format that I believe was successful, with more participation on the microphone by more people and a more engaging and interactive approach,” he said.

The road now leads to Shanghai, where it’s been officially confirmed that the WRC-27 will be taking place in November. However, Cacace noted that there was still “lots of work to do” before then.

Here’s what PolicyTracker covered this week:

• Ukrainian MNO, Kyivstar, will team up with Starlink for satellite D2D for services across Ukraine.
• The FCC is consulting on the rules for the upper-C auction.
• During the ITU’s inter-regional information session on WRC-27 preparation, the working group presenting Agenda Item 7 said it was behind schedule.
• Field trials in Japan and Saudi Arabia have assessed whether the 7 GHz band is suitable for 6G.
• The German regulator, BNetzA, is to re-run its assignment of spectrum in the 2 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands, potentially launching a new auction.
• Plans to switch off 2G and 3G networks in Europe are raising concerns about access to emergency services.