Satellite, Terrestrial Wireless Seen as Jockeying for Spectrum at Least Through WRC-23

Spectrum allocation disagreements between the satellite industry and terrestrial wireless providers will be the norm for the foreseeable future, satellite officials said Thursday on a Satellite 2016 panel on the future of the satellite broadcast industry. November's World Radiocommunication Conference deferred several decisions, and frequency allocation issues will likely be on the agenda for WRC-23, said Gary Thatcher, U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau associate director: "I can't imagine everything will be resolved at WRC-19."

The best way for satellites to keep their C-band allocation is "to use it or lose it," said Yvon Henri, ITU Radiocommunication Bureau chief-space services. A U.S.-championed proposal on fixed satellite service use of C-band is to be part of WRC-19 (see 1512080035). "The battle is not over to defend C-band," Henri said. He said regulations for broadcast satellite services have been evolving over time in ITU regions 2 and 3, but broadcast satellite service rules in Region 2 have been at a standstill for years, which could set the industry back.

The satellite industry had "great results" at WRC-15, said Aarti Holla, EMEA Satellite Operators Association secretary general. "The facts and the usage spoke for itself," she said, but C-band likely will be an issue at WRC-19. On use of 28 GHz spectrum for 5G services, Holla said, "Go ahead -- but we'll be delivering them." FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler rebuked the satellite industry in a speech this week, calling it obstructionist at WRC-15 on the issue of sharing the 28 GHz band with 5G (see 1603090057).

Much panel talk involved the potentially rosy future of the broadcast satellite business. Space Data Association Chairman Mark Rawlins pointed to high-throughput satellites bringing more capacity to the market, and modulation techniques that put more data through the same bandwidth, plus antenna developments likely in the next year or two that will make mobility much easier, all pointing to big potential. At least for the near future, 4K will be largely a satellite domain until compression techniques begin allowing its transmission terrestrially, Holla said, saying in-flight connectivity and connected cars also are "the next space for broadcasting." "Linear is definitely here to stay," though 4K brings with it increasing risks of spectrum congestion, Holla said.

The growth of over-the-top video is "an opportunity as well as a challenge," Rawlins said, saying satellite could play a role in the IP delivery in developing markets that allows OTT watching. The BBC's goal is to "ride two horses" as IP delivery of content is increasingly important but the need to reach homes not online remains, said Cath Westcott, BBC senior frequency manager. IP won't soon replace broadcast given infrastructure limitations, Holla said: "It might be there in 10 years, it might be there in 20."

The tendency to try to stop content is spreading around the world, IBB's Thatcher said, citing such nations as Iran, Russia and Turkey. "It's far from clear how [the ITU] will handle that" when blocking of IP-delivered content via satellite becomes more common, he said. Thatcher also said some traditional broadcasting routes are seeing further shrinkage, as shortwave transmitters are going away and there likely won't be any international FM broadcasting as such content moves to online distribution.