ITU 2024 opens up 6G bands and basestation in the sky
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has released the updated version of the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the global use of radio spectrum and satellite orbits.
The 2024 ITU Radio Regulations now covers more than 40 different radiocommunication services, spanning frequencies from 8.3 kHz to 3000 GHz and comes into force in January 2025. This ensures a stable regulatory environment for developing and rolling out regulated radiocommunication services around the world.
The 2024 edition is the result of a four-year process that culminated in four weeks of negotiations during the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), hosted last year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
WRC-23 and the new regulations now allow 4G, 5G and, in the future, 6G spectrum in the 3 300-3 400 megahertz (MHz), 3 600-3 800 MHz, 4 800-4 990 MHz and 6 425-7 125 MHz frequency bands in various countries and regions.
WRC-23 also identified the 2 GHz and 2.6 GHz bands for using high-altitude platform stations as IMT base stations (HIBS) and established regulations for their operations. This ‘basestation in the sky’ technology offers a new platform to provide mobile broadband with minimal infrastructure using the same frequencies and devices as IMT mobile networks. HIBS can contribute to bridging the digital divide in remote and rural areas and maintain connectivity during disasters.
For non-geostationary fixed-satellite service Earth Stations in Motion (ESIMs), the conference identified new frequencies to deliver high-speed broadband onboard aircraft, vessels, trains, and vehicles. These satellite services are also critical following disasters where local communication infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.
Provisions were included to protect ship and aircraft mobile service stations located in international airspace and waters from other stations within national territories, and also provisionally recognized the BeiDou Satellite Messaging Service System for GMDSS use, subject to successful completion of coordination with the existing networks and elimination of interference.
The ITU Radio Regulations govern the global use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits for all radio services, systems and applications, including fixed and mobile broadband, satellite systems, sound and TV broadcasting, radionavigation, meteorological monitoring and prediction, space research and Earth exploration, amateur radio services and other topics.
“The 2024 edition of the Radio Regulations marks a significant milestone in the world of technology,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “As technological progress advances and the demand for spectrum grows, the international treaty continues to evolve to accommodate new radiocommunication services and applications, minimize interference between services, and ensure equitable access to this essential resource.”
Treaty provisions also direct how radio equipment and systems must operate to ensure efficient and effective coexistence among various services worldwide and anywhere in space, optimizing the usage of today’s increasingly crowded airwaves.
“The updated Radio Regulations is the result of hard-won agreements reached at WRC-23 and a testament to the unwavering spirit of cooperation and compromise among all of our members to negotiate timely changes to the international treaty,” said Mario Maniewicz, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. “The updated treaty provides a framework for national spectrum management that aligns with international standards and guarantees the stable, predictable regulatory environment that is essential for the development of innovative radiocommunication services for all.”
Working groups for the next conference in 2027 are looking at various new areas, including possible new or modified space research service (space-to-space) allocations for future development of communications on the lunar surface, and between lunar orbit and the lunar surface, as well as the development of regulatory measures to limit the unauthorized operations of non-geostationary-satellite orbit (non-GSO) earth stations in the fixed-satellite service (FSS) and mobile-satellite service (MSS).
The electronic version of the 2024 Radio Regulations is available to download
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