International Radio Spectrum Management Beyond Service Harmonisation

The enhancement of the international radio spectrum management framework is currently a subject of great debate in the light of the evolving radio communications environment. This subject matter has received due consideration in two successive World Radio communication Conferences (WRC) held in 2003 and 2007 respectively and further discussions are scheduled at WRC-12 which will take place in 2012. For over a century the international radio spectrum management framework has been governed by the service harmonisation principle and none of the models resulting so far from ITU studies for its enhancement challenges this principle. In this paper the author reviews the basis for service harmonisation and describes the new challenges brought by convergence. The evolving spectrum regulatory environment at national and regional (e.g. European) levels and the initiatives of the ITU to enhance the international spectrum management framework are described. These initiatives are analysed and recommendations are made for WRC-12.