ITU Expands Global Network of Space Monitoring to Address Harmful Radio Frequency Interference
Emma Okonji
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations (UN) specialised agency responsible for driving global telecommunication activities among member states, has expanded its global network of space monitoring stations with the signing of a cooperation agreement with the Sultanate of Oman.
Under the agreement, Oman will provide state-of-the-art satellite monitoring facilities that will help to address cases of harmful radio frequency interference, in accordance with Article 15 of the Radio Regulations.
Oman’s seven earth stations will monitor emissions from satellites in the geostationary orbit between the longitudes of West and East, operating in frequency bands from 80 megahertz (MHz) up to 40 gigahertz (GHz).
ITU has signed similar agreements with Belarus, Brazil, China, Germany, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, and Viet Nam.
ITU Radiocommunication Bureau Director, Mario Maniewicz and the Executive President of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Sultanate of Oman, H.E. Omar Hamdan Al-Ismaili, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the latest cooperation agreement at ITU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
While signing the MoU, Maniewicz, said: “These enhanced space monitoring capabilities will continue to ensure the high reliability of satellite communications and other space services. This supports the interference-free operation of not only current systems, but also of future systems, with new and innovative radio technologies that the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference in Dubai, UAE, may authorize.”
Al-Ismaili, said: “TRA Oman is delighted to cooperate with ITU to help in mitigating harmful interference. We believe that such cooperation at the international level is important and needed to protect satellite communication. This cooperation will give wider exposure to our staff and engineers responsible for satellite monitoring activities. TRA Oman looks forward to working with ITU in all aspects related to the telecommunications sector.”
The space monitoring became necessary to ITU, because while working with its member states and other space stakeholders globally, ITU collects and processes reports of incidences of harmful interference in all sorts of Radiocommunications.
The Radio Regulations define radio frequency interference (RFI) as, “the effect of unwanted energy due to one or a combination of emissions, radiations, or inductions upon reception in a radiocommunication system, manifested by any performance degradation, misinterpretation, or loss of information, which could be extracted in the absence of such unwanted energy.”
The rapid growth and expansion of satellite connectivity also mean increased risks of interference. Continuous monitoring and international coordination are crucial to ensuring the highest reliability of space services and satellite communications
ITU’s Satellite Interference Reporting and Resolution System (SIRRS) enables governments and other space stakeholders (satellite operators, space agencies, and other participating entities) to report through their respective administrations any harmful interference affecting space services.
The resulting reports have enabled ITU to build up an extensive repository of interference incidences. This makes ongoing and new cases easier to track, analyse, and resolve, according to ITU Senior Radiocommunications Engineer, Jorge Ciccorossi.
“If we cannot measure it, we cannot manage it. We can’t do it alone. ITU needs information from its member states and all other space stakeholders to measure the actual situation and help us gather the evidence needed for resolving reported incidences of harmful interference,” Ciccorossi said.
