The Impact of the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference on the Fixed-Satellite, Inter-Satellite, and Mobile-Satellite Services

The Fixed-Satellite service (FSS) is the most heavily used and still the fastest growing of the seventeen space radio communications services recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). To provide the additional spectrum needed for continued growth in both domestic and international satellite networks, the ITU's 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC-79) more than doubled the bandwidth allocated to this service in most parts of the spectrum. The Inter-Satellite service (ISS) is an "auxilliary" service whose allocations are intended to provide intersatellite links between the space stations of other services. Although not yet implemented in commercial systems, such links are expected to be used extensively in future FSS networks. To permit the introduction of the ISS earlier and at lower cost than would be possible with the existing allocations above 50 GHz, WARC-79 allocated two 1-GHz-wide bands to the ISS at 23 and 33 GHz. The Mobile-Satellite services (MSS) include land, maritime, and aeronautical components. WARC-79 left the Aeronautical-Mobile Satellite allocations essentially unchanged, created new possibilities for development in the Land-Mobile Satellite service, and essentially doubled the spectrum that will be available to the Maritime-Mobile Satellite service. WARC-79 made only minor changes to the regulatory procedures for gaining access to the various space service allocations. However, in response to the concerns of developing nations about equitable access to the spectrum and the geostationary satellite orbit for future satellite systems, WARC-79 resolved to convene another World Administrative Radio Conference in two sessions scheduled for 1984 and 1985 (WARC-84/85). This Space Conference would consider the use of the geostationary satellite orbit and the planning of the space services using it with the objective of guaranteeing in practice for all countries equitable access to the orbit. This paper provides a detailed description of the WARC-79 allocation actions affecting the FSS, ISS, and MSS and provides background on the decision to convene WARC- 84/85.