U.S. Looks for Jobs, Economic Gains With WRC-12 Proposals

Billions of dollars are at stake in WRC-12 negotiations aimed at creating new jobs, driving economic growth and pushing forward emerging U.S. industries as global leaders, officials said in a briefing. Spectrum for mobile broadband, unmanned aircraft systems, wireless avionics intra-communications and a framework for post-shuttle era communications are some of the top U.S. objectives for the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) and beyond, officials said. The U.S. is heavily engaged in bilateral and regional talks to solidify support, they said.

The outcome of the WRC will have “enormous consequences in terms of commercial activity,” said Philip Verveer, the U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy. One can be “absolutely confident” that “real billions of dollars will turn on what is decided,” he said. It will enable firms to go forward with confidence they'll have access to spectrum in needed bands, Verveer said. It will also have “important consequences” for the scientific and other communities, he said, referring to radioastronomy and security.

WRC-12 is a treaty-based global conference, said Richard Beaird, senior deputy U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy in the State Department. The periodic conferences revise the Radio Regulations, typically every three to four years, by sometimes difficult-to-reach consensus, Beaird said. Everyone has an interest in consensus, Beaird said. Harmonization of spectrum “is vital,” Beaird said. Results of work on the 33 agenda items will be a “snapshot” of current and future technology in the radio world, Beaird said.

An extensive international study process has developed various options or methods for addressing each of the 33 agenda items, said Decker Anstrom, head of the U.S. delegation. A parallel process in the U.S., led by the FCC and the NTIA, solicited studies and recommendations for each agenda item, he said. Development of U.S. positions has included “extensive private sector involvement” and federal agency participation, Anstrom said. The U.S. has finalized positions on “most” of the agenda items, he said. Positions on remaining issues, and proposals for the WRC-15 agenda, which is part of the WRC-12 process, will be completed by the end of August, Anstrom said.

Each WRC presents important opportunities to advance wireless innovation to strengthen U.S. competitiveness, stimulate economic growth and create new jobs, Anstrom said.

A possible future WRC agenda item on mobile broadband services is one of several items that are of particular priority for the U.S., Anstrom said. The WRC-12 will propose an agenda for the following conference that the ITU Council will consider for approval in about two years. Proposals by the U.S. and others aim to set the stage for more mobile broadband spectrum allocations at WRC-15, Anstrom said. The agenda item is a “high priority” for the U.S., Anstrom said, consistent with President Barack Obama’s goal and his broadband plan. It is premised on the view that broadband is an “essential infrastructure” with “great economic opportunities” for new products and services, both domestically and internationally, Anstrom said.

International interest in allocating additional spectrum for mobile broadband is “intense,” Anstrom said. The U.S. is having “encouraging discussions” with other administrations, he said. This is a “very high” priority for every administration the U.S. has talked with, Anstrom said. “We're very hopeful the 2012 conference will set a very good framework for decisions in 2015,” he said.

The U.S. proposal reflects the importance the Obama Administration has given to a National Broadband Plan, and an “expansive” industry need for spectrum, Beaird said. Not all regional groups or administrations have floated proposals, Beaird said.

The U.S. mobile broadband proposal for WRC-15 calls for studies to spur common, worldwide allocations and identification of spectrum suitable for the development of mobile broadband systems, including International Mobile Telecommunications, the international standard for 3G and 4G wireless communications. It also calls for study of sharing and compatibility between broadband systems including IMT and systems of other services.

The U.S. proposal on mobile broadband was floated in the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), Anstrom said. CITEL adopted a different regional proposal, he said. The CITEL proposal is backed by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela, a draft said.

The CITEL proposal differs in specifics but is “consistent with the key threads of the U.S. proposal,” Anstrom said. A draft version of the CITEL proposal calls for study of technical and operational issues related to future development of IMT and other mobile broadband applications and technologies in the mobile service. Studies would focus on spectrum requirements and potential frequency ranges suitable for IMT identifications and development of other mobile broadband applications and technologies in the mobile service, the draft said.

The studies proposed by the CITEL administrations would also account for “evolving needs,” including growth in demand for mobile broadband services and applications, “the evolution of spectrum efficient radiocommunication technologies, including IMT,” “the particular needs of developing countries,” the time-frame when spectrum is needed and sharing with other services. About two dozen CITEL administrations are considering it, the draft said.

The U.S. supports harmonization of frequencies to help drive down costs, Beaird said. “We need to focus on frequencies that can be most used around the world,” he said. Studies will be needed to set the stage at WRC-15 for harmonization and for looking at frequency bands in a “flexible way,” Beaird said. “We're flexible on bands because we understand that administrations will all come to this process with their respective national broadband plans and their regional differences,” Beaird said. Allocations would then be made at the following conference, now scheduled for 2015, Beaird said. The structure for studies should be “inclusive,” Beaird said.

The U.S. proposal suggests a special ITU-R “joint task group,” Beaird said. The work goes beyond any individual ITU-R group, Beaird said. The U.S. is encouraged by discussions so far, Beaird said. If the proposal is adopted, the joint task group would be formed, and the group’s mandate would be developed during the first WRC-15 conference preparatory meeting, which immediately follows WRC-12, Beaird said. The U.S. position is directed toward IMT or through mobile terrestrial, Beaird said. Some will likely be interested in the satellite aspects, Beaird said.

"The principal thematic points … are coalescing in terms of the international discussion,” Anstrom said. The Nigerians had a “very comprehensive and thoughtful proposal that the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) is considering,” Anstrom said. European administrations are also looking at the issue, Anstrom said.

The U.S. is also especially focused on the growing civilian use of unmanned aircraft, Anstrom said, referring to the agenda item on spectrum requirements and possible regulatory actions, including allocations, to support the safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems. Unmanned aircraft are already being used in some cases for weather forecasting, cargo transport, search and rescue, firefighting and scientific research, Anstrom said. Unmanned aircraft systems also have “obvious national security-related issues,” Anstrom said. U.S. industry is “very well positioned to be the global leader,” Anstrom said.

Another significant opportunity is an agenda item that sets the stage for the next generation of space research, Anstrom said. The agenda item is a “major issue of interest to NASA” and the science community that will create the framework for the post-shuttle era of manned and robotic flight, Anstrom said. Work under the agenda item is considering a primary allocation to the space research service (Earth-to-space) within the band 22.55-23.15 GHz, the agenda said.

Wireless avionics intra-communications (WAIC) is another important opportunity for a proposed WRC-15 agenda item, Anstrom said. WAIC is a new generation of wireless technologies aimed at reducing costs, spurring efficiency, safety and reliability, he said. U.S. industry is “very well positioned” to be a global leader, Anstrom said.

A small number of U.S. positions on satellite issues haven’t been finalized, Anstrom said. Talks are ongoing between NTIA, the FCC and the private sector, he said. The remaining issues under the agenda item that largely deals with satellite matters are “complicated and interconnected,” Anstrom said. The remaining satellite issues and proposals for the next conference will all be submitted to CITEL by August 30, he said.

The U.S. has been involved in a “very extensive bilateral consultation process” to promote its proposals and listen to and learn about the viewpoints of other administrations, Anstrom said. Certain administrations have key individuals who are often opinion leaders in a WRC, Beaird said, citing Russia, China, France, Mexico and Brazil. The U.S. has met with Canada, Russia, the U.K., a number of ATU administrations, and the European regional group, officials said. Bilateral meetings are planned with Japan, China, South Korea and other countries during an upcoming Asia-Pacific regional meeting. The U.S. will also meet with Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay and other Latin American countries, and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, Anstrom said. Regional organizations are increasingly playing a “vital role” in the process of reaching consensus, Beaird said.

A decision on the six-month appointment of the U.S. ambassador to the WRC-12 is expected to happen around the beginning of October, Verveer said, referring to Anstrom. Registered lobbyists will likely not be able to be part of the U.S. delegation, Verveer said. “I don’t foresee that being a serious problem in terms of having appropriate and adequate representation from the private sector,” Verveer said. The U.S. delegation is expected to be between 100 and 130 members, Beaird said. The conference runs from January 23 to February 17, 2012.