ITU Insists on Proper Use of Radio-frequency Spectrum for Effective Global Regulation

Emma Okonji

​​Following the increasing demand for spectrum licenses from various countries of the world, Nigeria inclusive, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for regulating global Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), has released an updated version of the ITU Radio Regulations, which is the international treaty governing the global use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. 

According to the global regulatory body, the released 2024 e​dition of the ITU Radio Regulations, which takes effect from January 1, 2025, is the result of a four-year process that culminated in four weeks of negotiations during the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), hosted last year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

The ITU Radio Regulations govern the global use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits for all radio services, systems and applications, including fixed and mobile broadband, satellite systems, sound and TV broadcasting, radionavigation, meteorological monitoring and prediction, space research and earth exploration, amateur radio services and others. 

Giving details of the regulatory document, ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “The 2024 edition of the Radio Regulations marks a significant milestone in the world of technology.  

“As technological progress advances and the demand for spectrum grows, the international treaty continues to evolve to accommodate new radiocommunication services and applications, minimize interference between services, and ensure equitable access to this essential resource.” 

The treaty serves as the cornerstone of international radio frequency management, ensuring that spectrum allocations keep pace with the rapidly evolving technological landscape and meet the needs of modern communication systems. 

Treaty provisions also direct how radio equipment and systems must operate to ensure efficient and effective coexistence among various services worldwide and anywhere in space, optimising the usage of today’s increasingly crowded airwaves. 

The 2024 Radio Regulations identifies new spectrum resources to support technological innovation, deepen global connectivity, increase access to and equitable use of space-based radio resources, and enhance safety at sea, in the air, and on land. 

Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, Mario Maniewicz, said: “The updated Radio Regulations is the result of hard-won agreements reached at WRC-23 and a testament to the unwavering spirit of cooperation and compromise among all of our members to negotiate timely changes to the international treaty.

 “The updated treaty provides a framework for national spectrum management that aligns with international standards and guarantees the stable, predictable regulatory environment that is essential for the development of innovative radiocommunication services for all.” 

Global regulation of the radio spectrum began with the signing of the first International Radio Telegraph Convention in Berlin on  November 3, 1906 after 30 states came together and agreed on key maritime communications and safety provisions and established ‘SOS’ as a globally recognised distress signal. 

Since then, the Radio Regulations have evolved into a four-volume treaty of more than 2,000 pages. The treaty establishes the rights and obligations of ITU’s 193 member states, Nigeria inclusive, and now covers more than 40 different radiocommunication services, spanning frequencies from 8.3 kilohertz (kHz) to 3000 gigahertz (GHz). 

The ITU Radio Regulations facilitate equitable access to and rational use of the radio-frequency spectrum and geostationary satellite orbits, both globally shared and limited natural resources. It supports the efficient and effective operation of all radiocommunication services; and, as necessary, facilitates the introduction and regulation of new radiocommunication services and technologies. 

The international coordination mechanisms enshrined in the ITU-managed treaty promote its objective to ensure the availability of the frequencies provided for distress and safety communications and help prevent or resolve cases of harmful interference between the radio services of different administrations.