World Broadcasting Unions: Statement on Spectrum Allocation Associated with WRC-15
At a June 23rd meeting of the Directors and Secretaries General of the WBU in Prague (the Czech Republic) the WBU position on Spectrum Allocation, which will be discussed in the forthcoming World Radio Conference (WRC-15) later this year, was strongly reaffirmed.
The use of radio-frequency spectrum by broadcasters remains the most important vehicle for the efficient and scalable delivery of high-quality media content and emergency alerting services to both fixed and mobile audiences, specifically relying on the following services and systems;
DTV Broadcasting Service
The WBU does not support any change to the current spectrum allocations at UHF frequencies (470 – 694/ 698 MHz).
Contiguous spectrum should be allotted in the bands assigned to the broadcast service to allow for the robust delivery of high-quality media content, data and signalling that meets or exceeds the capabilities of current fixed and mobile reception and display devices as well as those that are expected to be deployed in the future.
Satellite Distribution Systems
The WBU does not support any change to the current spectrum allocations at C-band or extended C-band frequencies. The use of downlink spectrum allocated at C-Band (3.7 – 4.2 GHz) or extended C-band in the Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS) is essential to broadcasters’ operations around the world. Systems employing this FSS band have been extensively deployed over decades, primarily for the distribution of content from network centres to affiliated stations, cable head-ends and to other receiving systems.
Summary
This WBU position has been supported by spectrum studies both at UHF and C-band frequencies which have demonstrated that major interference to broadcast operations would result from sharing in these bands with IMT. These studies have been filed with the ITU. The WBU will continue to participate actively in spectrum studies of the radio- frequency bands both assigned and associated with broadcasting, in order to ensure the continued efficient use of these bands for broadcast media content distribution.
About WBU:
The WBU is the coordinating body for broadcasting unions who represent broadcaster networks across the globe. It was established in 1992 as a coordinating body at the international broadcasting level. Since then, the WBU has provided global solutions on key issues for its member unions. The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) acts as secretariat for the WBU.