[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] IARU E-Letter, January 2011

[Ian]

IARU E-LETTER

IARU Electronic Newsletter

January, 2011

In this Issue:

The ITU - International Telecommunication Union

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ITU

If you were to ask most amateur radio operators what entity is responsible
for granting privileges to use portions of the radio spectrum for amateur
radio purposes the answer would likely be their own national
telecommunication authority. However, that's only partially true. The
ultimate authority for the use of the radio spectrum is the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is desirable that each amateur radio
operator understand what the ITU is and why its work and decisions are
important.

Most countries are Member States of the ITU and by way of treaty generally
agree to be bound by the decisions of the ITU when it comes to the usage of
the radio spectrum. Each country can decide that a certain use determined by
the ITU may not apply in their own jurisdiction. It is not common for
countries to do that but it is within their sovereign authority to do so.

The International Telecommunication Union is a United Nations agency that
deals with information and communications technology issues. They have an
extensive web site at  <http://www.itu.int/> www.itu.int that details much
of their work. The ITU is based in Geneva, Switzerland and includes in its
membership 192 Member States and more than 700 Sector Members and
Associates.

ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted
international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve
telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, established the
worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of
communications systems and addressed other global concerns, such as
mitigating climate change and strengthening cybersecurity.

The top staff official of the ITU is its Secretary-General, Dr. Hamadoun
Toure who is also a licensed radio amateur with the call sign HB9EHT. There
are three sectors in the ITU: Radio- communication (ITU-R), Development
(ITU-D) and Standardization (ITU-T). The IARU is a Sector Member in both the
ITU-R Sector and the ITU-D Sector. The IARU fully participates in both of
those sectors by attending any and all meetings that involve issues that may
impact the amateur or the amateur-satellite services. The Secretary-General,
the Deputy Secretary-General and the Directors of the three ITU Sectors are
elected to four-year terms by the Member States at Plenipotentiary
Conferences held every four years. The IARU is a recognized international
telecommunication organization and is invited to participate as an observer
at the Plenipotentiary Conferences. The most recent "Plenipot" was held in
October, 2010 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The ITU Council was established in 1947 under the name Administrative
Council, following a decision taken by the 1947 Plenipotentiary Conference
in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. The Council comprises a maximum
of 25% of the total number of Member States, which are elected by the
Conference with due regard to the need for equitable distribution of Council
seats among the five world regions (Americas, Western Europe, Eastern
Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia).  The current Council is comprised of
48 members.

The role of Council is to consider, in the interval between Plenipotentiary
Conferences, broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the
Union's activities, policies and strategies fully respond to today's
dynamic, rapidly changing telecommunications environment.  It also prepares
a report on the policy and strategic planning of the ITU. In addition,
Council is responsible for ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the
Union, coordinating work programs, approving budgets and controlling
finances and expenditures. Finally, Council also takes all steps to
facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the ITU Constitution, the
ITU Convention, the Administrative Regulations (International
Telecommunications Regulations and Radio Regulations), the decisions of
Plenipotentiary Conferences and, where appropriate, the decisions of other
conferences and meetings of the Union. The IARU has attended several ITU
Council meetings in the recent past.

The ITU-R Sector is very important for radiocommunication services,
including the amateur and amateur-satellite services. Every 4 or 5 years the
ITU holds a World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) to revise the
international Radio Regulations. It is the job of WRC to review, and, if
necessary, revise the  <http://www.itu.int/pub/R-REG-RR/en> Radio
Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the
radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and
non-geostationary-satellite orbits. Revisions are made on the basis of an
agenda determined by the  <http://www.itu.int/council/index.html> ITU
Council, which takes into account recommendations made by previous world
radiocommunication conferences. The general scope of the agenda of world
radiocommunication conferences is established four to six years in advance,
with the final agenda set by the ITU Council two years before the
conference, with the concurrence of a majority of Member States. The next
WRC is scheduled for 23 January to 17 February 2012, just one year away.

Under the terms of the  <http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/basic-texts/index.html>
ITU Constitution, a WRC can: 

1. revise the Radio Regulations and any associated Frequency assignment and
allotment Plans; 

2. address any radiocommunication matter of worldwide character; 

3. instruct the  <http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/go/rrb/en> Radio Regulations
Board and the  <http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/go/br/en> Radiocommunication
Bureau, and review their activities; 

4. determine  <http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/go/questions/en> Questions for study
by the  <http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/go/ra/en> Radiocommunication Assembly and
its  <http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/go/rsg/en> Study Groups in preparation for
future Radiocommunication Conferences.

There is a lengthy preparatory process for every WRC in which the IARU
participates as a Sector Member. There are usually countless meetings
dealing with each agenda item that has been determined to be on the agenda
for a WRC. Many of those agenda items can, and do, have a substantial impact
on the amateur radio usage of portions of the radio spectrum. It is
important for the IARU to participate to "protect our frequencies" and when
the opportunity presents itself, to expand our spectrum.

ITU-R Study Groups and Working Parties address each agenda item on the WRC
agenda and try to arrive at a consensus and recommendation(s) how the agenda
item may be addressed or dealt with at the WRC. Studies are conducted many
times to determine how a proposed new usage may impact the other services,
or not. Each of these agenda items are thoroughly discussed for at least a
couple of years leading up to the WRC. You can imagine how important it is
for the worldwide amateur community that IARU participate in the entire
study group/working party process.

ITU-D is where much of the ITU's work on disaster response takes place. The
development arm of the ITU considers emergency telecommunications an
integral part of its projects integrating telecommunications/information and
communication technology in disaster predication, detection, and alerting.
Emergency Telecommunications play a critical role in the immediate aftermath
of disasters by ensuring timely flow of vital information which is much
needed by government agencies, and other humanitarian actors that are
involved in rescue operations and providing medical assistance to the
injured. IARU's task in the ITU-D Sector is to ensure that amateur radio's
role in disaster communications is understood and appreciated by the ITU
members. The ITU-D Sector also conducts a worldwide conference. The current
schedule calls for a World Telecommunication Development Conference every 4
years. In 2010, the WTDC was held in Hyderabad, India in late May and early
June. IARU participated in the conference.

The ITU also sponsors regional and global exhibitions called TELECOMS. An
ITU Telecom offers a global ICT community platform that gathers stakeholders
from across the telecommunications/ICT sector to connect, collaborate and
create the future ICT landscape. Forums or seminars related to ICT are
conducted at the Telecoms and IARU has participated in such forums, usually
on topics related to emergency communications.

In one of the ITU buildings, there is a permanent amateur radio station,
4U1ITU. 4U1ITU is the club station of the International Amateur Radio Club. 

In an upcoming IARU E-Letter, I will describe the organization of IARU and
how it works within the ITU and the regional telecommunication organizations
like CEPT, CITEL and APT to ensure amateur radio's continued place in the
radio spectrum landscape.

73, Rod W6ROD

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An archive of earlier issues is available at
<http://www.iaru.org/e-letter/> http://www.iaru.org/e-letter/.

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If you have any information that would be appropriate to publish in this
electronic newsletter, please contact me at w6rod at iaru.org.

Rod Stafford W6ROD

IARU Secretary

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The IARU E-Letter is published on behalf of the Administrative Council of
the International Amateur Radio Union by the IARU International Secretariat.
Editor: Rod Stafford, W6ROD, IARU Secretary.

Material from The IARU E-Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
The IARU E-Letter and The International Amateur Radio Union.