Radio Regulations

Source: the Radio Regulations published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

WRC Agenda Item › WRC-27 › AI 1.17
AI

1.17

WRC-27 · Agenda item 1.17

to consider regulatory provisions for receive-only space weather sensors and their protection in the Radio Regulations, taking into account the results of ITU Radiocommunication Sector studies, in accordance with Resolution 682 (WRC-23)

Current WP 7C Res. 682 (WRC-23) › 27.5–28.0 MHz 29.7–30.2 MHz 32.2–32.6 MHz 37.5–38.325 MHz 73.0–74.6 MHz 608–614 MHz
At a glance Summary & background Regulatory Studies

At a glance Beta

Frequency band
27.5–28.0 MHz 29.7–30.2 MHz 32.2–32.6 MHz 37.5–38.325 MHz 73.0–74.6 MHz 608–614 MHz
Governing resolution
Res. 682 (WRC-23)
Responsible group WP 7C
Agenda-item type Technical

The band and its sensitive neighbours

27.5–28 MHz 37.5–38.325 MHz 73–74.6 MHz 608–614 MHz 25 27.5 30.2 37.5 73 608 MHz
METEOROLOGICAL AIDS
FIXED
MOBILE
Space operation
SPACE RESEARCH
Radio astronomy
BROADCASTING
RADIONAVIGATION

Blocks group a service with its direction and mode variants; the table names each allocation as the Radio Regulations name it.

Current framework

Services in this band

METEOROLOGICAL AIDS Primary
FIXED Primary
MOBILE Primary
SPACE OPERATION (satellite identification) Primary
SPACE RESEARCH Primary
MOBILE except aeronautical mobile Primary Region 1 only
Radio astronomy Primary Region 2 only
BROADCASTING Primary Regions 1, 3 only
RADIONAVIGATION Primary Region 3 only
Mobile-satellite except aeronautical mobile-satellite (Earth-to-space) Secondary

What's being studied — points to watch

Receive-only recognition

The sensors add no emissions; the item gives passive space-weather observation a recognised category — MetAids (space weather) — plus a way to notify receive-only stations, which Article 11 today does not provide (Res. 682).

No claims on incumbents

Any new allocation shall not claim protection from, or constrain the future development of, incumbent services in the six bands or their neighbours (Res. 682).

Six physics-chosen bands

27.5–28.0, 29.7–30.2, 32.2–32.6, 37.5–38.325, 73.0–74.6 MHz and 608–614 MHz were chosen by the physics of the observed phenomena, and each carries different incumbents.

Value to forecasting

The case rests on how much protected observation improves warnings for satellites, aviation, navigation and power grids.

Preparation timeline

  1. Dec 2023 WRC-23 agenda adopted
  2. Dec 2023 CPM 27-1 studies allocated
  3. ITU-R studies 2026
  4. ITU-R studies 2027
  5. 5–15 Apr 2027 CPM 27-2 final report
  6. RTO Prep meetings 2027
  7. 11–15 Oct 2027 RA-27
  8. 18 Oct–12 Nov 2027 WRC-27

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Source: ITU Radio Regulations, editions of 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024. The English, French and Spanish texts are each taken from the official edition in that language, not translated from one another. Sources and citation.