Russia export controls and sanctions

Russia wants ITU-R to take part in studies on conformance and functional compatibility testing, and assistance to developing countries on radiocommunication gear and systems, it said in submission to the June meeting of the Radiocommunication Advisory Group. The work should focus on development of recommendations on testing harmonization, and methodologies for conformance and functional compatibility tests, Russia said. The future ITU conformity database or the possible ITU mark program should reflect discussions about ITU-R recommendations that are a basis for conformance and interoperability testing, China said. It mentioned as examples the worldwide implication of ITU-R recommendations for International Mobile Telecommunications air interfaces and ITU recommendations incorporated by reference into the Radio Regulations. The U.S. doesn’t support ITU-R recommendations dealing with interoperability, we've learned. U.S. officials and executives are concerned about the implementation and assessment of an as yet incomplete ITU-T conformance and interoperability plan. U.S. interests think expanding the initiative into ITU-R is premature. Russia wants the Radiocommunication Assembly to approve an unspecified resolution on the matter. China wants discussion at the June meeting to spur preparation for the 2012 Radiocommunication Assembly.

Russia wants a new ITU-R resolution on the use of wireless technologies and radio systems for environmental protection and to help prevent further climate change, a submission to the June Radiocommunication Advisory Group meeting said. Telecom and information communication technologies are effective cross-cutting tools for helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in other sectors of the economy and for reducing the negative effect of human activities on the environment, it said. ITU conferences in 2008 and 2010 determined the main climate change activities in the organization’s development and standardization sectors, Russia said. A 2010 resolution spurred ITU-R work on active and passive remote sensing for environmental observations and other radiocommunication systems in support of climate monitoring, disaster prediction, alerting and response, it said. The proposed resolution would help determine main ITU-R activities on the use of radiocommunications for combating climate change, it said.

Eutelsat and the Russian Satellite Communications Co. (RSCC) will work together in selling broadband and data services in Russia over Eutelsat’s Ka-Sat satellite, the companies said. Ka-Sat was launched in December and is scheduled to begin commercial service soon. Terms of the deal, which is the second recently announced collaboration between the two companies, weren’t released. Eutelsat and RSCC, a state-owned satellite operator, said last week they would work together on a new satellite scheduled to launch in 2015 (CD May 11 p22).

Eutelsat and Russian Satellite Communications Co. will work together on a satellite scheduled for launch in 2015, the companies said. Eutelsat and RSCC, a state-owned satellite operator, signed a memorandum of understanding in which a new satellite will be positioned at 36 degrees east and provide capacity for both operators, they said. Eutelsat will handle the financing of the satellite and the launch will be handled on the Russian side under the framework of the Russian Federal Space Programme, potentially lessening launch costs. RSCC will handle in-orbit operations, it and Eutelsat said. The satellite will serve sub-Saharan Africa for Eutelsat and Russia for both companies, they said. Eutelsat declined to give further terms of the memo.

Arianespace plans to launch the ABS-2 satellite for Asia Broadcast Satellite in 2013 on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana, said Arianespace. The C-, Ku- and Ka-band satellite will end up at 75 degrees east to provide communications services to Asia, Russia, Africa and the Middle East, it said.

The ITU Radiocommunication Bureau circulated a proposal for new procedures for dealing with a change of notifying administration for a satellite network when it acts on behalf of a group of named administrations. On several occasions, intergovernmental satellite telecommunication organizations have asked the bureau to change their notifying administration, it said. Twenty-five of 26 countries in Intersputnik had asked the bureau to change the notifying administration for its networks from Belarus to Russia (CD March 30 p16). Belarus wanted to hold onto three networks Intersputnik had said are held by the group. A March meeting of the Radio Regulations Board concluded that when an intergovernmental satellite telecom organization wishes to designate a new notifying administration in relation to ITU for its satellite networks, the bureau must make the changes upon receipt of due written notification by the legal representative of the intergovernmental organization in question, the letter said. Comments are due May 16.

GENEVA -- Preparatory discussions for a 2012 treaty conference focused on changing provisions in the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITR) to account for the significant shift of the industry to a modern market-oriented environment, according to submissions. At least some of the new issues raised during the 2009 World Telecommunications Policy Forum appeared to gain traction with groups of developing countries (CD April 27/09 p6). Preparatory discussions are at an early stage, executives and officials said.

Row 44 said it would expand its in-flight satellite broadband flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, North Atlantic and Russia. The company will use Hughes’ modem platform and Intelsat’s Ku-band satellites for the service, it said. Row 44 said it currently offers service in North America, Europe and Middle East and expects to offer the expanded service by 2013.

GENEVA -- A major ITU treaty conference in 2012 may deal with the economics of the international telecom transport mechanism, numbering misuse, and possibly cybersecurity and quality of service, said officials familiar with preparations. The first meeting this week in a new round of preparatory talks is building on discussions that started in 1998. Talks on Internet governance issues are possible but probably unlikely, American telecom lawyer Herb Marks told us. A 2010 policy-setting conference prompted the preparations, officials said.

Belarus claimed the Radiocommunication Bureau is sending critical fax messages to a number not registered with the ministry of communications, it said in a submission to the ITU Radio Regulations Board meeting this week. The practice, dating back as far as nine months, has impaired the country’s legal rights, it said, referring to the change of notifying administration for satellite networks at 75 degrees east. The complaint is an indication of much deeper divisions between Belarus and Intersputnik. Intersputnik members see an effort by Belarus to remain the notifying agency for the three networks belonging to members of Intersputnik, we've learned. Intersputnik members had replaced Belarus with Russia as the notifying administration. Belarus wants to assign use of the frequencies to Belarsat Corp. Hundreds of millions of dollars are at risk, we've learned, if Belarus actions adversely impact Asia Broadcast Satellite plans and operations. Intersputnik members may pursue compensation for damages, we've learned. Belarus said it wanted to continue to fulfill the functions of notifying administration for the satellite networks Interbelar-2, Intersputnik-75E-Q and Intersputnik-75E-CK. Belarus and Russia in 2009 informed the BR that Russia would become the notifying administration for all networks, except the three that Belarus had previously notified on behalf of the Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications. Twenty-five of the 26 countries on IOSC’s board in 2010 had agreed to also make Russia the notifying agency for the three networks.