The 34th meeting of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) Permanent Consultative Committee II (PCC.II) concluded a week of meetings on August 16 in Ottawa, Canada, in advance of World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19). The meetings were aimed at reaching regional consensus on WRC-19 agenda items. Attendees at PCC.II included ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, who is on the US delegation to WRC-19.

“The big news is that the Inter-American Proposal (IAP) going forward to ITU from CITEL countries has removed the 47 – 47.2 GHz Amateur Radio allocation from WRC-19 agenda item 1.13,” Siverling said. “We are putting forward a ‘no change’ proposal.” Supported by 13 member-states, the IAP would take frequencies in that range off the table for possible sharing with 5G International Mobile Telephony (IMT). Siverling conceded that other administrations could raise the issue at WRC-19.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) was to conduct and complete appropriate studies to determine spectrum needs for the IMT terrestrial component in the 24.25 – 86 GHz range, and studies on sharing and compatibility, while taking into account the protection of services with primary allocations on the band. ITU-R has not conducted any sharing studies between the IMT-2020 systems and incumbent Amateur Radio and Amateur Satellite services. “Therefore, it has not been demonstrated that the incumbent services can be protected, as required by Resolution 238 (WRC-15), and No Change is proposed for the 47 – 47.2 GHz frequency band,” the IAP said.

Fourteen administrations signed on to an IAP that voices no objection to an Amateur Radio allocation at 50 – 54 MHz in ITU Region 1 (Europe, the Mideast, and Africa).

Under WRC-19 agenda item 10 (future agenda items), language to protect the Amateur Radio primary 50 – 54 MHz allocation was included in a US proposal to study implementing space-based Earth Exploration Satellite Service (EESS) radars to operate in the 40 – 50 MHz range, in time for WRC-23, recognizing that 50 – 54 MHz is primary in Regions 2 and 3, with an alternative primary Amateur Service allocation in a number of Region 1 countries.

Also under agenda item 10, the frequency segment 47 – 47.2 GHz was removed from a proposal to study several additional frequency ranges for the Fixed Satellite Service (FSS).

Twelve member-states agreed to an IAP that supports no change to the existing allocation at 5725 – 5850 MHz, and 18 member states supported no change in the 5850 – 5925 MHz segment in the face of calls to consider these bands for higher power and outdoor wireless access points. The US and Canada are among countries with a secondary Amateur Radio allocation at 5650 – 5925 MHz.

Language in a Canadian contribution, with additions from the US delegation, was added regarding WRC-19 agenda item 9.1.6, which seeks to identify frequencies for medium- and high-power wireless charging of electric vehicles (WPT-EV). Delegates to PCC.II forwarded an IAP of No Change to the Radio Regulations. The wording emphasizes the requirement to properly set standards to avoid harmful interference to radio services from WPT-EV systems: “[A]s wireless power transmission and technology for electric vehicles continues to evolve, the protection of existing, planned, and future radiocommunication services against harmful interference, including unwanted emissions and harmonics, must be ensured. This can be achieved through further studies and the development or updating of applicable ITU-R recommendations and reports.”

The recent CITEL meeting was the last prior to WRC-19, which will be October 28 – November 22 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. — Thanks to Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, and Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN