GVF, the global trade association for the satellite industry, praises decisions reached at the World Radiocommunication Conference in Egypt which concludes on 22 November. David Meltzer, GVF’s Secretary General, comments that,
“Satellites today are bringing critical communications to all areas of the world which power economies, entertain billions, and saves lives. Millions of people who otherwise are on the other side of the digital divide are able to connect to the internet via satellites and many more will cross the divide because of satellites. Spectrum is the oxygen that brings such services alive. The decisions reached at the Conference protecting existing satellite spectrum and providing access to more spectrum will enable satellites to maintain and grow these and future services with advances in satellite and antenna technologies and increased capacity. As a result of the Conference, individuals will be better able to connect to the internet, businesses will be able to increase the capacity and power of their networks, and governments will be better able to communicate life-saving information to their citizens.”
Decisions taken at WRC-19 include:
Providing travellers on planes, ships and trains greater access to the internet via satellites
Enabling deployment of ubiquitous satellite terminals to bring increased broadband connectivity to many parts of the world
Providing additional spectrum to improve satellite-provided services to end-users
Protecting communications delivered by satellites from harmful interference
Potentially allocating additional spectrum for satellite services at a future World Radiocommunication Conference