Scarce

Resources
Main topics of
discussion
 Management of the Radio Frequency
Spectrum

 Technical & regulatory problems of

Geostationary Orbit
The underlying
problem
 The orbits of Geostationary communication
satellites are concentrated in a narrow
band, 22300 miles above the equator.

 The spacing between satellites is critical –

because the radio transmission when
made on the same frequencies, will cause
interference.
Need for a
Regulatory Body
 To deal with scarcity in various
applications,

 To prevent the interference by giving

the users particular frequencies to
transmit,

we need a Regulatory Body.

Functions of a
Regulatory Body
 Allocations of frequencies

 Allotment of frequencies
Types of
Regulatory Body
 National or Domestic Regulators
If radio transmission starts & ends
within the borders of a single country

 International Regulators
If radio transmission is not confined to
a single country.

So, a combination of national &

international regulators is required to do
allocation & the allotment of frequencies.
International
Radio Frequency
Management
 ITU, the international regulator,
establishes technical standards to
govern:
 The power
 Modulation techniques
 Radio Emissions
 Allocation of frequencies
 Allotment of frequencies among the
nations
Allotment of
Frequencies
 The allotment of frequency bands to the
particular nations is done within the
allocations to overcome the threat of
interference.
 International allotments are necessary
only when there is a possibility of
international interference.
 Allotment of frequencies is the work of
several organizations like:
– ITU
– CEPT
– ETSI
Two Approaches
for Frequency
Allotment
 a priori approach:
This approach allots the spectrum
among the users according to a certain plan.
3. a posteriori approach:
In this approach the rights are given to
those who claim them first.

The a priori approach is more popular in less

developed countries because of the fear of exhaustion
of spectrum before they are in a position to use it,
while the a posteriori approach is popular in more
developed countries.
International
Frequency
Registration
Board
In 1947, an approach called the
“Engineered Spectrum” was created
by the ITU to review all frequency
uses & develop a equitable allotment
of spectrum among nations.

 To monitor the engineered spectrum,

the ITU created the International
Frequency Registration Board (IFRB).
Functions of the
IFRB
 The IFRB would maintain a Frequency
Register (MIFR) of all frequency
assignments.

 Reported assignments that

corresponds to the ITU’s frequency
allotments would be recorded in 2a
column and would have the maximum
protection from interference.
 Nonconforming assignments that do
not violate the regulations and do not
cause any interference are placed in
the 2b column.

 Nonconforming assignments that

cause any harmful interference would
not be registered in the MIFR.

 Column 2d contains the frequencies

to which no allotment plan has been
devised. Column 2d assignments are
at the centre of ITU’s a posteriori,
notice-and-recordation procedure.
Notice and
Recordation
Procedure
1. Countries that intend to use
particular frequencies notify the
IFRB.

3. Then IFRB determines that

registrations is in accordance with
its regulations & whether it causes
any interference.

5. Then it is entered in the MIFR and the

registrant gains a priority over the
other users who may wish to
transmit interfering signals on those
Management of
Orbit used by the
Geostationary
Satellites
 Technical Problems of Geostationary
Orbits.

 Regulatory Problems of the

Geostationary Orbits.
Technical
Problems of the
GSO
 Transponders uplinks as
well as downlinks, in
order to keep a satellite
restricted from
interfering with its own
transmission, the uplink
and downlink are
transmitted at different
frequencies.
The Frequency
bands

 C-band (4 GHz – 6 GHz)

Most communication satellite are operating
in the C-band of frequencies, they receive uplink
signals in 6 GHz and transmit downlink signals in
4 GHz range.

 Ku-band (12 GHz – 14 GHz)

The most recent generation of satellites use
the first portion of K-band called as the Ku-band,
receive uplink at 14 GHz and transmits downlink
at 12 GHz.
 Interference is avoided
by the orbital spacing.

 C-band satellites are

typically spaced b/w
3 – 5 degrees or
2200 – 3600 Km.

 Latest improvements in
the antenna have
permitted spacing of 3
degrees or 1500 Km.
 Regulatory
Problems of
Geostationary
orbit
 Space War
 ITU intervention and the
development phases
3. Formative phase(1959 to 1977)
4. Political phase(1977 to 1979)
5. Pragmatic phase(1979 to 1988)
6. GSO under-pressure(1988 to 1995)
Formative Phase
(1959 to 1977 )
 World Administrative Radio conference
(WARC),1959
 Extraordinary Administrative Radio
conference (EARC),1963
 World Administrative Radio conference
for space Telecommunications
(WARC-ST), 1971 Geneva
 ITU’s Plenipotentiary conference,1973
 Political Phase
(1977 to 1979 )
 Equal rights for developing
nations
 1977 Plan
 1979 WARC
 Dispute of 14.5Ghz to 15.35Ghz
 Why USA 1979 WARC plan?
6. Lack of flexibility and 12Ghz spectrum band
7. Solution to the posed problem
 End of Political Era
Pragmatic Phase
(1979 to 1988 )

 1983 Plan
 1985-1988
 GSO Under
pressure
(1988 to 1995 )
 ITU’s effort to make countries
coordinate
 China APT operator
 Kingdom of Tonga
 Solution by ITU
Low Earth Orbit
Satellites
 The disadvantage of LEO’s.

 However, military research devised a

method of sending data from one satellite
to another.

 A network of satellites is required to

provide continuous coverage.

 It requires less energy to place a satellite

into a LEO and the LEO satellite needs less
powerful amplifiers for successful
transmission, LEO is still used for many
communication applications.
 Big LEO’s operate above 1GHz that will
provide voice, data communication and
mobile communication.

 Little LEO’s operate below 400MHz that will

provide low speed digital communication.

 In WRC (in 1995), US mobile satellite industry

urged for additional spectrum for mobile
satellite systems (LEO).