WRC-19 to be hosted in Egypt, to focus on management of scarce orbit resources

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 28 October to 22 November 2019.

Preceding WRC-19, the Radiocommunication Assembly 2019 (RA-19) will be held in the same venue from 21 to 25 October 2019.

The outcomes of the international treaty-making conference (WRC-19) and the RA-19 will have a global impact in the field of communications.

Wireless, and especially space-based, connectivity is helping make smart societies a reality across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (including intelligent transport systems, e-government, tele-education, e-health, e-logistics, smart energy, smart agriculture), in both developed and developing countries, and particularly in rural and remote areas.

WRC-19 will facilitate the management of scarce orbit/spectrum resources in the interest of end-users, with global implications for both policymakers and the industry.

WRC-19 will focus on reviewing and revising the international regulatory framework for radiocommunications – the Radio Regulations – to reflect the increasing convergence in radio services arising from the rapid evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT).

The event will highlight the management of scarce radio-frequency spectrum to provide new opportunities for radiocommunication services, including those for maritime and aeronautical transport, as well as for scientific purposes related to the environment, meteorology and climatology, disaster prediction, mitigation and relief.

The management of satellite orbital slots and associated spectrum resources (Earth stations in motion – ESIM, Non-geostationary fixed-satellite service (FSS) systems and small satellites) will be discussed as well.

Other topics of interest at WRC-10 will include the IMT-2020 and beyond (in marketing terms called 5G – Fifth Generation of Mobile Technologies), High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), mobile broadband and other advanced technologies.

The World Radiocommunication Conference, held every three to four years, is mandated to review and revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.

WRC-19 will facilitate the management of scarce orbit/spectrum resources in the interest of end-users, with global implications for both policymakers and the industry.

Radiocommunication Assemblies (RA) are responsible for the structure, programme and approval of radiocommunication studies and standards. They normally convene every three or four years and are associated in time and place with World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs).

A combined 3,500+ participants are expected to attend WRC-19 and RA-19, including delegates from the 193 ITU Member States as well as 267 members of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) representing international organizations, equipment manufacturers, network operators and industry forums, who attend as observers.