Notification and recording of frequency assignments

The expression “frequency assignment”, wherever it appears in this Article, shall be understood to refer either to a new frequency assignment or to a change in an assignment already recorded in the Master International Frequency Register (hereinafter called the Master Register).

Any frequency assignment to a transmitting station and to its associated receiving stations except for those mentioned in Nos. 11.13 and 11.14 shall be notified to the Bureau:

a) if the use of that assignment is capable of causing harmful interference to any service of another administration; or

Suppressed by the conference; the number is retained. (WRC-07)

b) if that assignment is to be used for international radiocommunication; or

c) if that assignment is subject to a world or regional frequency allotment or assignment plan which does not have its own notification procedure; or

d) if that assignment is subject to the coordination procedure of Article 9 or is involved in such a case; or

e) if it is desired to obtain international recognition for that assignment; or

f) if it is a non-conforming assignment under No. 8.4 and if the administration wishes to have it recorded for information.

Similar notification shall be made for a frequency assignment to a receiving earth station or space station, or to a receiving high-altitude platform station in the fixed service using the frequency bands mentioned in Nos. 5.457, 5.534A, 5.543B, 5.550D and 5.552A or to a land station for reception from mobile stations, when: (WRC-19)

a) any of the conditions in Nos. 11.4, 11.5 or 11.7 apply to the receiving station; or

b) any of the conditions in No. 11.2 apply to the associated transmitting station.

Any frequency to be used for reception by a particular radio astronomy station may be notified if it is desired that such data be included in the Master Register.

Assignments involving specific frequencies which are prescribed by these Regulations for common use by terrestrial stations of a given service shall not be notified. They shall be entered in the Master Register and a consolidated table shall also be published in the Preface to the International Frequency Information Circular (BR IFIC). (WRC-19)

Frequency assignments to ship stations and to mobile stations of other services, to stations in the amateur service, to earth stations in the amateur-satellite service, and those to broadcasting stations in the high-frequency bands allocated to the broadcasting service between 5 900 kHz and 26 100 kHz which are subject to Article 12 shall not be notified under this Article.

When notifying a frequency assignment, the administration shall provide the relevant characteristics listed in Appendix 4. (WRC-07)

Number not used.

Frequency assignments relating to a number of stations or earth stations may be notified in the form of the characteristics of a typical station or a typical earth station and the intended geographical area of operation. Except for mobile earth stations, individual notices of frequency assignments are however necessary in the following cases (see also No. 11.14):

a) stations covered by the Allotment Plans in Appendices 25, 26 and 27;

b) broadcasting stations;

c) terrestrial stations within the coordination area of an earth station;

d) any terrestrial stations in bands shared with space services which exceed the limits specified in Tables 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d of Appendix 7 and in No. 21.3;

e) any terrestrial stations in bands listed in Table 21-2;

f) any terrestrial station in bands referred to in a footnote which includes a reference to No. 9.21, if it pertains to a service which is subject to the application of the procedure for seeking agreement under No. 9.21; (WRC-03)

g) earth stations whose coordination area includes the territory of another administration, or where the earth station is located within the coordination area of an earth station operating in the opposite direction of transmission; (WRC-03)

h) earth stations whose interference potential is greater than that of a coordinated typical earth station. (WRC-03)

Notices relating to assignments to stations of terrestrial services, except for those referred to in Nos. 11.25, 11.26 or 11.26A, shall reach the Bureau not earlier than three months before the assignments are brought into use. (WRC-03)

Notices relating to assignments to stations in space services, and to terrestrial stations involved in coordination with a satellite network, shall reach the Bureau not earlier than three years before the assignments are brought into use.

Notices relating to assignments for high-altitude platform stations in the fixed service in the frequency bands identified in Nos. 5.457, 5.537A, 5.530E, 5.532AA, 5.534A, 5.543B, 5.550D and 5.552A shall reach the Bureau not earlier than five years before the assignments are brought into use. (WRC-19)

Notices relating to assignments of high-altitude platform station as International Mobile Telecommunications base station in the frequency bands identified in Nos. 5.312B, 5.314A, 5.388A and 5.409A shall reach the Bureau not earlier than three years before the assignments are brought into use. (WRC-23)

Notices not containing those characteristics specified in Appendix 4 as mandatory or required shall be returned with comments to help the notifying administration to complete and resubmit them, unless the information not provided is immediately forthcoming in response to an inquiry by the Bureau.

Complete notices shall be marked by the Bureau with their date of receipt and shall be examined in the date order of their receipt. On receipt of a complete notice the Bureau shall, within no more than two months, publish its contents, with any diagrams and maps and the date of receipt, in the BR IFIC which shall constitute the acknowledgement to the notifying administration of receipt of its notice. When the Bureau is not in a position to comply with the time limit referred to above, it shall periodically so inform the administrations, giving the reasons therefor. (WRC-12)

The Bureau shall not postpone the formulation of a finding on a complete notice unless it lacks sufficient data to reach a conclusion thereon. Moreover, the Bureau shall not act upon any notice having a technical bearing on an earlier notice which is still under consideration by the Bureau until it has reached a finding with respect to the earlier notice.

Each notice shall be examined:

a) with respect to its conformity with the Table of Frequency Allocations and the other provisions of these Regulations, except those relating to conformity with the procedures for obtaining coordination or the probability of harmful interference, or those relating to conformity with a plan, as appropriate, which are the subject of the following sub-paragraphs;

b) with respect to its conformity with the procedures relating to coordination with other administrations applicable to the radiocommunication service and the frequency band concerned; or

c) with respect to the probability of harmful interference that may be caused to or by assignments recorded with a favourable finding under Nos. 11.36 and 11.37 or 11.38, or recorded in application of No. 11.41, or published under Nos. 9.38 or 9.58 but not yet notified, as appropriate, for those cases for which the notifying administration states that the procedure for coordination under Nos. 9.7, 9.7A, 9.7B, 9.11, 9.12, 9.12A, 9.13 or 9.14, could not be successfully completed (see also No. 9.65); or (WRC-15)

d) with respect to the probability of harmful interference that may be caused to or by other assignments recorded with a favourable finding in application of Nos. 11.36 and 11.37 or 11.38 or in application of No. 11.41, as appropriate, for those cases for which the notifying administration states that the procedure for coordination or prior agreement under Nos. 9.15, 9.1617 9.1717 9.17A or 9.1817 could not be successfully completed (see also No. 9.65); or (WRC-2000)

e) where appropriate, with respect to its conformity with a world or regional allotment or assignment plan and the associated provisions.

In cases where the Bureau is not in a position to conduct the examination under No. 11.32A or 11.33, the Bureau shall immediately inform the notifying administration, which may then resubmit its notice under No. 11.41, under the assumption that the finding under No. 11.32A or 11.33 is unfavourable. (WRC-2000)

When the examination with respect to No. 11.31 leads to a favourable finding, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register or examined further with respect to Nos. 11.32 to 11.34, as appropriate. When the finding with respect to No. 11.31 is unfavourable, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register for information purposes and subject to application of No. 8.5, only if the administration undertakes that it will be operated in accordance with No. 4.4; otherwise the notice shall be returned with an indication of the appropriate action.

When the examination with respect to No. 11.32 leads to a favourable finding, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register indicating the administrations with which the coordination procedure has been completed. When the finding is unfavourable, the notice shall be returned to the notifying administration, with an indication of the appropriate action, if Nos. 11.32A or 11.33 do not apply. (WRC-12)

When the examination with respect to Nos. 11.32A or 11.33 leads to a favourable finding, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register indicating the names of the administrations with which coordination was completed and those with which it was not completed but in respect of which the finding was favourable. When the finding is unfavourable, the notice shall be returned with an indication of the appropriate action.

When the examination with respect to No. 11.34 leads to a favourable finding, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register. When the finding is unfavourable, the notice shall be returned to the notifying administration, with an indication of the appropriate action. However, notices under Appendices 25, 26 or 27 which are in accordance with the technical principles of the relevant appendix but not with the associated allotment plan shall be treated as follows: (WRC-03)

In the case of a notice in conformity with the technical principles of Appendix 27, but not in conformity with the Allotment Plan, the Bureau shall examine whether the protection specified in Appendix 27 is afforded to the allotments in the Plan and to assignments already recorded in the Master Register with a favourable finding.

When the examination under No. 11.39A leads to a favourable finding, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register. When the finding is unfavourable, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register with a symbol indicating that it shall cause no harmful interference to any frequency assignment which is either in conformity with the Allotment Plan or recorded in the Master Register with a favourable finding with respect to No. 11.39A.

A notice in conformity with the technical principles of Appendix 26, but not in conformity with the Allotment Plan, shall be examined with respect to the allotments in Part III of Appendix 26.

When the examination under No. 11.39C leads to a favourable finding, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register. When the finding is unfavourable, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register with a symbol indicating that it shall cause no harmful interference to any frequency assignment which is either in conformity with the Allotment Plan or recorded in the Master Register with a favourable finding with respect to No. 11.39C.

In the case of a notice not in conformity with the Allotment Plan of Appendix 25, the assignment may be recorded provisionally in the Master Register on the condition that the administration has initiated the procedure of Appendix 25 in accordance with § 25/1.23 of Section I of Appendix 25.

A notice which is not in conformity with the technical principles of Appendices 25, 26 or 27, as applicable, shall be returned to the notifying administration, unless the administration undertakes that it will be operated in accordance with No. 4.4; in such a case the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register for information purposes and subject to application of No. 8.5. (WRC-03)

Number not used.

After a notice is returned under No. 11.38, should the notifying administration resubmit the notice and insist upon its reconsideration, the Bureau shall enter the assignment in the Master Register with an indication of those administrations whose assignments were the basis of the unfavourable finding (see also No. 11.42 below). (WRC-12)

Should the assignments that were the basis of the unfavourable finding under Nos. 11.32A or 11.33 not be brought into use within the period specified in Nos. 11.24, 11.25 or 11.44, as appropriate, then the finding of the assignments resubmitted under No. 11.41 shall be reviewed accordingly.

Should the coordination procedure specified in No. 11.32 be completed with an administration whose assignments were the basis for the recording made under No. 11.41, then, based on the updated information sent by the notifying administration, the relevant remarks or indications relating to assignments for which an unfavourable finding led to their recording under No. 11.41 shall be removed. (WRC-12)

Should harmful interference actually be caused by an assignment recorded under No. 11.41 to any recorded assignment which was the basis of the unfavourable finding, the administration responsible for the station using the frequency assignment recorded under No. 11.41 shall, upon receipt of a report providing the particulars relating to the harmful interference, immediately eliminate this harmful interference. (WRC-12)

In applying No. 11.42 with respect to satellite networks, administrations involved shall cooperate in the elimination of harmful interference and may request the assistance of the Bureau, and shall exchange relevant technical and operational information required to resolve the issue. Should any administration involved in the matter inform the Bureau that all efforts to resolve the harmful interference have failed, the Bureau shall immediately inform other involved administrations and prepare a report, together with all necessary supporting documents (including comments from the administrations involved), for the next meeting of the Board for its consideration and any required action (including the possible cancellation of the assignment recorded under No. 11.41), as appropriate. The Bureau shall thereafter implement the decision of the Board and inform the administrations concerned. (WRC-12)

In every case when a new assignment is recorded in the Master Register it shall, in accordance with the provisions of Article 8 of this Chapter, include an indication of the finding reflecting the status of the assignment. This information shall also be published in the BR IFIC.

A notice of a change in the characteristics of an assignment already recorded, as specified in Appendix 4, shall be examined by the Bureau under Nos. 11.31 to 11.34, as appropriate. Any change to the characteristics of an assignment that has been recorded and confirmed as having been brought into use shall be brought into use within five years from the date of the notification of the modification. Any change to the characteristics of an assignment that has been recorded but not yet brought into use shall be brought into use within the period provided for in No. 11.44. (WRC-07)

In the case of a change in the characteristics of an assignment which is in conformity with No. 11.31, should the Bureau reach a favourable finding with respect to Nos. 11.32 to 11.34, as appropriate, or find that the changes do not increase the probability of harmful interference to assignments already recorded, the amended assignment shall retain the original date of entry in the Master Register. The date of receipt by the Bureau of the notice relating to the change shall be entered in the Master Register.

Where the notifying administration resubmits the notice and the Bureau finds that the coordination procedures specified in No. 11.32 have been successfully completed with all administrations whose space or terrestrial radiocommunication stations may be affected, the assignment shall be recorded in the Master Register. The date of receipt by the Bureau of the original notice shall be entered in the appropriate column of the Master Register. The date of receipt by the Bureau of the resubmitted notice shall be entered in the “Remarks” column.

Where the notifying administration resubmits the notice with a request that the Bureau effect the required coordination under Nos. 9.7 to 9.19, the Bureau shall take the necessary action in accordance with the relevant provisions of Articles 9 and 11, as appropriate. However, in any subsequent recording of the assignment, the date of receipt by the Bureau of the resubmitted notice shall be entered in the “Remarks” column.

The notified date of bringing into use of any frequency assignment to a space station of a satellite network or system shall be not later than seven years following the date of receipt by the Bureau of the relevant complete information under No. 9.1 or 9.2 in the case of satellite networks or systems not subject to Section II of Article 9 or under No. 9.30 in the case of satellite networks or systems subject to Section II of Article 9. Any frequency assignment not brought into use within the required period shall be cancelled by the Bureau after having informed the administration at least three months before the expiry of this period. (WRC-23)

A notice not conforming to No. 11.44 shall be returned to the notifying administration with a recommendation to restart the advance publication procedure or the coordination procedure, as appropriate. (WRC-23)

A frequency assignment to a space station in the geostationary-satellite orbit shall be considered as having been brought into use when a space station in the geostationary-satellite orbit with the capability of transmitting or receiving that frequency assignment has been deployed and maintained at the notified orbital position for a continuous period of 90 days. The notifying administration shall so inform the Bureau within 30 days from the end of the 90-day period. On receipt of the information sent under this provision, the Bureau shall make that information available on the ITU website as soon as possible and shall publish it in the BR IFIC. Resolution 40 (Rev.WRC-19) shall apply. (WRC-23)

A frequency assignment to a space station in a non-geostationary-satellite orbit network or system in the fixed-satellite service, the mobile-satellite service or the broadcasting-satellite service shall be considered as having been brought into use when a space station with the capability of transmitting or receiving that frequency assignment has been deployed and maintained on one of the notified orbital plane(s) of the non-geostationary satellite network or system for a continuous period of 90 days, irrespective of the notified number of orbital planes and satellites per orbital plane in the network or system. The notifying administration shall so inform the Bureau within 30 days from the end of the 90-day period25, . On receipt of the information sent under this provision, the Bureau shall make that information available on the ITU website as soon as possible and shall publish it in the BR IFIC subsequently. (WRC-23)

A frequency assignment to a space station in a non-geostationary satellite orbit network or system with “Earth” as the reference body, other than a frequency assignment to which No. 11.44C applies, shall be considered as having been brought into use when a space station with the capability of transmitting or receiving that frequency assignment has been deployed on one of the notified orbital plane(s) of the non-geostationary satellite network or system, irrespective of the notified number of orbital planes and satellites per orbital plane in the network or system. The notifying administration shall so inform the Bureau as soon as possible, but not later than 30 days after the end of the period referred to in No. 11.44.25, 29 On receipt of the information sent under this provision, the Bureau shall make that information available on the ITU website as soon as possible and shall publish it in the BR IFIC subsequently. (WRC-19)

A frequency assignment to a space station with a reference body that is not “Earth” shall be considered as having been brought into use when the notifying administration informs the Bureau that a space station with the capability of transmitting or receiving that frequency assignment has been deployed in accordance with the notification information. The notifying administration shall so inform the Bureau as soon as possible, but not later than 30 days after the end of the period referred to in No. 11.44.25 On receipt of the information sent under this provision, the Bureau shall make that information available on the ITU website as soon as possible and shall publish it in the BR IFIC subsequently. (WRC-19)

Suppressed by the conference; the number is retained. (WRC-03)

Suppressed by the conference; the number is retained. (WRC-03)

Suppressed by the conference; the number is retained. (WRC-03)

Suppressed by the conference; the number is retained. (WRC-03)

The notified date of bringing into use of an assignment to a terrestrial station will be extended at the request of the notifying administration by not more than six months.

In applying the provisions of this Article, any resubmitted notice which is received by the Bureau more than six months after the date on which the original notice was returned by the Bureau shall be considered to be a new notification with a new date of receipt. For frequency assignments to a space station, should the new date of receipt of such a notice not comply with the period specified in No. 11.44.1 or No. 11.43A, as appropriate, the notice shall be returned to the notifying administration in the case of No. 11.44.1, and the notice shall be examined as a new notice of a change in the characteristics of an assignment already recorded with a new date of receipt in the case of No. 11.43A. The Bureau shall appropriately reflect the resubmission on the ITU website within 30 days of receipt. (WRC-19)

All frequency assignments notified in advance of their being brought into use shall be entered provisionally in the Master Register. Any frequency assignment to a space station provisionally recorded under this provision shall be brought into use no later than the end of the period provided under No. 11.44. Any other frequency assignment provisionally recorded under this provision shall be brought into use by the date specified in the notice, or by the end of the extension period granted under No. 11.45, as the case may be. Unless the Bureau has been informed by the notifying administration of the bringing into use of the assignment, it shall, no later than fifteen days before either the notified date of bringing into use, in the case of an earth station, or the end of the regulatory period established under No. 11.44 or No. 11.45, as appropriate, send a reminder requesting confirmation that the assignment has been brought into use within that regulatory period. If the Bureau does not receive that confirmation within thirty days following the notified date of bringing into use, in the case of an earth station, or the period provided under No. 11.44 or No. 11.45, as the case may be, it shall cancel the entry in the Master Register. The Bureau shall, however, inform the administration concerned before taking such action. (WRC-07)

If, after the expiry of the period of seven years from the date of receipt of the relevant complete information referred to in No. 9.1 or 9.2 in the case of satellite networks or systems not subject to Section II of Article 9 or in No. 9.30 in the case of satellite networks or systems subject to Section II of Article 9, the administration responsible for the satellite network has not brought the frequency assignments to stations of the network into use, or has not submitted the first notice for recording of the frequency assignments under No. 11.15, or, where required, has not provided the due diligence information pursuant to Resolution 49 (Rev.WRC-23), as appropriate, the corresponding information published under Nos. 9.2B and 9.38, as appropriate, shall be cancelled, but only after the administration concerned has been informed at least six months before the expiry date referred to in Nos. 11.44 and 11.44.1 and, where required, § 10 of Annex 1 of Resolution 49 (Rev.WRC-23). (WRC-23)

Wherever the use of a recorded frequency assignment to a space station of a satellite network or to all space stations of a non-geostationary-satellite system is suspended for a period exceeding six months, the notifying administration shall inform the Bureau of the date on which such use was suspended. When the recorded assignment is brought back into use, the notifying administration shall, subject to the provisions of Nos. 11.49.1, 11.49.2, 11.49.3 or 11.49.4, as applicable, so inform the Bureau, as soon as possible. On receipt of the information sent under this provision, the Bureau shall make that information available as soon as possible on the ITU website and shall publish it in the BR IFIC. The date on which the recorded assignment is brought back into use shall be not later than three years from the date on which the use of the frequency assignment was suspended, provided that the notifying administration informs the Bureau of the suspension within six months from the date on which the use was suspended. If the notifying administration informs the Bureau of the suspension more than six months after the date on which the use of the frequency assignment was suspended, this three-year time period shall be reduced. In this case, the amount by which the three-year period shall be reduced shall be equal to the amount of time that has elapsed between the end of the six-month period and the date that the Bureau is informed of the suspension. If the notifying administration informs the Bureau of the suspension more than 21 months after the date on which the use of the frequency assignment was suspended, the frequency assignment shall be cancelled. Ninety days before the end of the period of suspension, the Bureau shall send a reminder to the notifying administration. If the Bureau does not receive the declaration of the commencement of the bringing-back-into-use period within thirty days following the limit date of the period of suspension established in accordance with this provision, it shall cancel the entry in the Master Register. The Bureau shall, however, inform the administration concerned before taking such action. (WRC-23)

The Bureau shall review periodically the Master Register with the aim of maintaining or improving its accuracy, with particular emphasis on the review of the findings so as to adjust them to the changing allocation situation after each conference. (WRC-03)

For frequency assignments to some non-geostationary-satellite systems in specific frequency bands and services, Resolution 35 (Rev.WRC-23) and Resolution 8 (WRC-23) shall apply. (WRC-23)