AIB has released its Position Paper on C-band frequency spectrum in advance of the World Radiocommunication Conference in November 2015.
On the agenda of WRC-15 is the potential reallocation of frequency spectrum currently used by satellite services on an exclusive basis, spectrum that broadcasters around the world rely on for a multitude of services.
“AIB is concerned about the impact that changes to C-band allocations will have on our Members and the wider broadcasting industry,” said Simon Spanswick, AIB chief executive. “Broadcasters rely on C-band to provide national and regional services to viewers in some parts of the world, and to feed programmes and provide newsgathering links. Large-scale sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics also rely on C-band to deliver feeds to broadcasting centres throughout the world. This call by the mobile industry to acquire C-band spectrum from satellite services must be resisted by national administrations.”
AIB is briefing its Members around the world and encouraging them to raise the issue with national regulators and administrations that will take part in WRC-15. The AIB Position Paper summarises the essential use made by the broadcasting industry of C-band spectrum. In addition, AIB is talking with other broadcasters – public, state and commercial – to ensure that they know of the threat to their operations.
“It is vital that as many broadcasters as possible raise this issue with national administrations,” continued Spanswick. “There needs to be a concerted effort by the world’s broadcasting industry to highlight the vital need to retain C-band on an exclusive basis for satellite services on which broadcasters – and by extension citizens – rely.”
You can download the AIB Position Paper here.