Spectrum leaders gather in Brisbane for international meeting

Key radio communications issues of an international dimension will be debated in Brisbane this week when more than 350 radio communication leaders from 32 Asia-Pacific countries gather for the third Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Preparatory Group summit.

Australian Communications and Media Authority Chairman Chris Chapman will deliver the inaugural address at the summit, along with an address from APT Secretary General Mr Toshiyuki Yamada and Preparatory Group Chairman Dr Alan Jamieson.

Representatives from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other major regional groups - the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) and the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) - will also attend as observers.

“Australia is delighted to host this important meeting, which represents a key milestone in the lead-up to the next International Telecommunication Union World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015 (WRC-15),” Chapman said.

“We anticipate five days of intensive dialogue and negotiations to develop Asia-Pacific technical positions that will be used at WRC-15 to identify new global spectrum opportunities.”

Spectrum decisions expected at WRC-15 are likely to affect:

• new spectrum for mobile communications,
• earth and space exploration,
• vehicle radar,
• wireless aviation electronics (to replace electronic cabling in aircraft and unmanned aircraft applications),
• weather and climate monitoring, as well as international satellite coordination.

The possible cessation of the occasional insertion of a leap second to coordinated universal time (UTC) is also under consideration.

For the first time the summit will be preceded by an ACMA-organised training workshop designed for new Preparatory Group participants from the region to develop skills to effectively engage and network at this and future APG meetings.

The summit is being hosted by the ACMA with the assistance of the Department of Communications. The event has only been held in Australia once before - in 1999.

World gathering in 2015

World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC) are held every three to four years to review and revise the International Telecommunication Union Radio Regulations. This treaty-level document governs the use of radiofrequency spectrum across the globe, including by means of geostationary and non-geostationary satellites.

The Asia-Pacific Preparatory Group summit for the WRC is the most significant activity undertaken by the APT.

The APT Preparatory Group summits are ordinarily held five times before each WRC, primarily to develop ‘APT Common Proposals’ on all WRC-15 agenda items.

At a WRC, regional proposals carry much more influence than a single country proposal, making the APG an essential platform for supporting Australia’s WRC positions.

WRC-15 is scheduled to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2-27 November 2015.