\u201cWe have made it a priority to create the environment that will enable new non-geostationary orbit systems (NGSO) or low Earth orbit systems like Starlink or Amazon\u2019s Kuiper system that will provide internet broadband connectivity,\u201d Lang said, \u201cespecially for remote areas with low latency.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, \u201cwe saw a lot of resistance,\u201d he added, \u201cand in fact, I would even say, an unfortunate bias against these NGSO systems\u201d across WRC-23 talks.<\/p>\n
SpaceX\u2019s Starlink and Amazon are based in the United States, which Lang said is leading the development of NGSO systems, and so some of the resistance is down to other countries seeking to advance their technological leadership and national security interests.<\/p>\n
But \u201csome countries were concerned about the impact that large megaconstellations could have on radio astronomy,\u201d he added \u201cor they were concerned about the future availability of orbital or spectrum resources for systems that we\u2019re not thinking of yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
WRC-23 approved putting NGSO astronomy interference and equitable access issues up for study to be debated in 2027, the next time the ITU convenes nations to review and update international spectrum rules.<\/p>\n
Still, Lang said he is happy with the outcomes WRC-23 overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way things came out were not always exactly as we envisioned \u2014 it was a negotiation \u2014 so there was some give and take, but in each of the areas that we prioritized, we did see progress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Others speaking on a separate panel at the Washington conference, hosted by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) public policy think tank, said the United States could have benefitted more from WRC-23 with more preparation and strategy alignment. <\/p>\n Umair Javed, senior vice president for spectrum at CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association), a trade association for the wireless sector in the United States, said domestic spectrum policy disputes had sidelined the country and conversations at WRC-23 about what the world should be doing with radio frequencies. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd that meant that the United States wasn\u2019t as forceful in these conversations as it has been in the past,\u201d Javed said on the panel. <\/p>\n According to Javed, the U.S. came out of WRC-23 falling further behind other countries in plans to release so-called mid-band spectrum to private companies, frequencies sitting at a sweet spot for 5G performance and coverage \u2014 such as the C-band used by geostationary operators to broadcast TV.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, countries such as China and France were helping craft the future of 6G deployments globally in radio waves that are aligned with their interests.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we saw the ability of other countries to shape spectrum policy independently of U.S. priorities at this conference in a way that I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve ever seen before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Former FCC Commissioner Michael O\u2019Reilly said on the same panel that part of the issue is the government only picked Lang to lead the U.S. delegation about two months before WRC-23 got underway, when ambassadors are typically identified at least a year in advance. Half the delegation were private sector advisers from companies keen to push for radio wave regulations that would suit their business needs. <\/p>\n \u201cOther countries aren\u2019t having temporary ambassadors,\u201d added O\u2019Reilly, who now advises the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) consultancy.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we have to fix that process,\u201d he said, \u201cand that requires more than just, in the last couple of minutes, saying, okay, here\u2019s our ambassador.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/platoaistream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/u-s-bracing-for-tougher-satellite-radio-wave-negotiations.jpg\")