WRC-23 Seen as 'Clear Success' for U.S.; 6 GHz Protection From IMT Cheered

The 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference “has been a clear success for U.S. interests," U.S. delegation head Steve Lang, State Department deputy assistant secretary-international information and communications policy, told reporters Friday, minutes after the four-week U.N. event concluded. He said the U.S. delegation "achieved many important objectives," including further harmonization of 5G spectrum across the Americas with an international mobile telecommunications (IMT) identification in the 3.3-3.4 and 3.6-3.8 GHz bands in Region 2. That creates 500 MHz of contiguous spectrum in the 3 GHz band for 5G, Lang said.

The U.S. and the Wi-Fi industry applauded safeguarding the 6 GHz band from terrestrial mobile. WifiForward head Mary Brown told us her group was “delighted.” China and its allies wanted to take 6425 GHz to the top of the 6 GHz band “and put an IMT stamp on it,” which would have precluded unlicensed access, she said. There also was an effort to have that spectrum studied for IMT for WRC-27. The U.S. was able to block both efforts, she said.

The U.S.-championed future agenda item about spectrum for lunar communications was approved, Lang said, calling it a "high-priority success." Another U.S. win was its proposal for opening the 3300-3400 MHz band for 5G mobile services in the Americas, said Charles Cooper, NTIA Office of Spectrum Management associate administrator. Under the agreement, IMT can go in but can't cause harmful interference to defense radiolocation systems, which have "super primary status."

GSMA cheered what it called "strong action to meet mobile data growth," including harmonization of the 3.3-3.8 GHz band across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. WRC-23 "set out a path towards greater digital equality" by defining mobile use in the 470-694 MHz band Region 1, GSMA said.

Lang and FCC Office of International Affairs Chief Ethan Lucarelli said non-geostationary orbit satellite issues were at times contentious. Lang said some member states seem to have "an unfortunate bias" against NGSO systems. "That was a challenge on many issues," he said, but added the U.S. still had some successes and advanced studies for future NGSO allocations. Lucarelli said the ITU's Radiocommunication Sector was invited to continue coexistence studies between NGSOs and geostationary orbit satellites for report at WRC-27. WRC-23 also saw some allocations in the 17 GHz range for NGSO and GSO downlinks and harmonization of Ka-band earth stations in motion rules for NGSOs with existing GSO ESIM use rules in the band, Lucarelli said. State said WRC-23 agreed on spectrum allocations for GSO and NGSO satellite systems, including for inter-satellite links, and on updated regulatory procedures for NGSOs.

The Alliance for Satellite Broadband -- which pushed for updated satellite power limits at WRC-23 (see 2310310039) -- said it was "pleased" with the WRC officially inviting studies of equivalent power flux density limits to be reported at WRC-27. "This is a win for innovation, enabling ITU members to evaluate [EPFD limits] in light of modern satellite systems and spectrum management techniques. International regulators have taken a vital step toward revisiting these outdated rules by committing to these studies," it said.

Low bands such as 600 MHz are used for covering rural areas, GSMA Special Adviser Ross Bateson emailed. WRC-23 took a step forward on these but didn’t go far enough. “We will revisit this issue in the future -- the GSMA does not believe it is right to have less access to connectivity dependent on where you live.” Parts of the 4.5 GHz (4.4-4.8 GHz), 7 GHz (7.125-8.4 GHz) and 14.8-15.35 GHz are being considered for discussion at WRC-27, he added.

Allocating 470-690 MHz for IMT was seen as controversial (see 2311060005). There’s now a secondary allocation for mobile services in Region 1, while broadcasting remains the only primary allocation, said Aetha Consulting telecom consultant Cameron Currin in an interview. The European Broadcasting Union said it viewed as a positive outcome for its members that broadcast would remain the only primary service in the frequency band 470–694 MHz across Region 1.

"The delegation’s accomplishments will promote innovation in unlicensed spectrum including Wi-Fi, support 5G connectivity, pave the way for 6G, and bolster U.S. leadership in the growing space economy," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said. "We now look forward to getting to work on preparations for WRC-27.” Said Commissioner Anna Gomez: "The delegation’s accomplishments on terrestrial licensed and unlicensed spectrum as well as space allocations will advance science and economic prosperity worldwide."