Anstrom Lays Out U.S. Priorities for WRC-12
The U.S. is well prepared and positioned for the World Radiocommunications Conference 2012, U.S. Ambassador Decker Anstrom said in a telephone conference call Thursday. Anstrom predicted “strong regional support for the U.S. positions on a number of agenda items” planned for the WRC, which takes place in Geneva Jan. 23 to Feb. 17.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Anstrom reviewed high-priority items on the U.S. agenda, the first of which is a first move toward setting the framework for a debate about the need to allocate additional spectrum for broadband services. He said this is consistent with President Barack Obama’s focus on the need for more spectrum for mobile broadband and the U.S. view that mobile broadband is “an essential infrastructure that has significant implications for economic and social objectives.”
The U.S. wants the WRC study process to look at all bands for reallocation of mobile services, and it wants the ITU and the WRC to work toward global harmony on mobile services. Another U.S. objective is to have these studies be handled by a joint-task group, which Anstrom said would produce better results. Other administrations have embraced the idea of having a specific study group, and no consensus has been reached.
The U.S. will also focus on international satellite systems, which Anstrom said will be a “conference within a conference,” with over 20 specific issues to cover, including ensuring the streamlining of the ITU registration process, preserving member state rights to manage their own frequency assignments and improving quality and transparency of the Master International Frequency Register. The transition of maritime communications services from analog to digital will also be on the agenda, he said.
Another objective is to help prepare a national framework for the development of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for civilian use, Anstrom said. Other countries have used the UAS for non-military purposes, he said, citing the use of such aircraft to monitor Japan’s nuclear disaster site and Central America’s volcanoes. Anstrom said there will be more telephone briefings during the conference, on Feb. 2, 9 and 16.