The rapid development of sub-orbital technology means that space flight will soon be a reality, the ITU says. Read more...

Three academics have suggested to US regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it authorise mmWave spectrum access as a golf club might manage its membership.  Read more...

New Zealand's telecoms regulator is seeking comments on the rules for a three-year testbed for Internet of Things (IoT) use in 210-220 MHz frequencies. This consultation is part of the ministry's 174-230 MHz review. Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) is consulting until November 30th, 2018.  The full document is available here. Read more...

Officials from the Americas region secured the leadership of two out of three Bureaus in the ITU elections, which were held during the first week of the organisation's 20th Plenipotentiary Conference in Dubai. This is the first time candidates from the Americas have secured any of the three top jobs since… Read more...

In order to meet the objectives of the European Digital Agenda, which says that all EU citizens should have access to 30 Mbps broadband by 2020, the Belgian regulator, BIPT, is proposing some new financial incentives. These inducements would apply to areas where broadband infrastructure is currently absent or is only… Read more...

Many countries across the Asia-Pacific region are still waiting to see the benefits of the digital dividend, available through the sought-after 700 MHz band.  Read more...

With a settlement of the dispute between the South African government and spectrum regulator over plans to auction 700 MHz, 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum agreed at last, the country plans to move forward quickly with assigning some spectrum to a wholesale open access network (WOAN) and auctioning the… Read more...

Speaking at a recent seminar, the soon-to-be former director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau Francois Rancy said that the current focus on millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum was "problematic" because it won't help improve coverage in areas that need it.  Read more...

Jonas Wessel, chair of the EU advisory body the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG),  told a recent conference in Paris that the group’s work on 5G is completed and that it is now up to stakeholders and investors to make the most of the technology.  Read more...

France's ARCEP is holding a consultation on the assignment of spectrum in the 1400 MHz, 3.4-3.8 GHz and 26 GHz bands in 2019. The consultation does not go into detail on the proposed award process but does mention that ARCEP expects to hold the auction or auctions for these bands in… Read more...