Emma Kelly/LONDON
The aviation industry has developed a unanimous position on the protection of its radio frequencies, says John White, director of the Infrastructure Support Group at the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The decision precedes May's International Telecommunication Union World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC).
IATA and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have been leading efforts to protect radio frequencies. IATA, ICAO, the Airports Council International, Air Transport Action Group and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation were among the industry bodies that met in London this month to form a coalition and finalise its position.
Aviation's radio frequencies, vital for aeronautical communications and particularly for the continued development of satellite navigation, will come under threat from mobile satellite service (MSS) operators which are keen to expand their own services at the WRC on 8 May-2 June in Istanbul, Turkey. White declines to detail the action plan as "we have given away a lot to the mobile community already".
The industry continues to lobby national telecommunications ministries, which have voting rights at WRC to allocate frequencies, to support aviation interests. "Generally, we are seeing sympathy for the aviation position, but we don't know into what action that will translate," says White.
Aviation is opposing seven main areas on the WRC agenda. Top of its concerns is the threat to future satellite navigation developments, with the industry calling for no allocation to be made to MSS in the 1559-1567MHz band, with sharing in this band not feasible. "Unimpeded evolution of global navigation satellite systems is key to the continued safe growth of global air transport and the national economies that aviation serves," says IATA.
In addition, aeronautical users oppose threats from MSS to the 2700-2900MHz band, which is used for primary radar surveillance systems, the 1151-1215MHz band, which supports distance measuring equipment, and the 5000-5150MHz band, which is reserved for the microwave landing system. Any threat from MSS to these bands could result in "a very significant financial impact" on aeronautical users.
The coalition has initiated a long-term action plan designed to safeguard aviation interests, with aviation expected to require 10.8MHz of the spectrum up to 2010 and 18MHz up to 2018.
Source: Flight International
