The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has welcomed the exclusion from consideration of all existing Amateur and Amateur-Satellite frequency allocations for potential use by non-amateur satellites. World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) last month in Geneva recommended an agenda item for the next WRC in 2019 involving spectrum studies for short-mission satellites that removes from consideration the Amateur-Satellite allocations at 2 meters and 70 centimeters.

“This is an excellent result for the amateur services and clearly shows that non-amateur satellite constructors need to consider spectrum other than the very limited and congested segments that are available for amateur satellites at 144 MHz and 435 MHz,” said IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA.

WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.7 calls on delegates “to study the spectrum needs for telemetry, tracking and command in the space operation service for non-GSO satellites with short duration missions, to assess the suitability of existing allocations to the space operation service and, if necessary, to consider new allocations, in accordance with Resolution COM6/19 (WRC-15).”

Resolution COM6/19 specifies 150.05-174 MHz and 400.15-420 MHz as the frequency ranges that may be considered for possible new allocations.

One factor the conference considered in deciding on those particular frequency ranges was that, contrary to the provisions of the ITU Radio Regulations defining the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite services, “some non-amateur satellites have used frequencies for telemetry, tracking and command in the frequency bands 144-146 MHz and 435-438 MHz which are allocated to the Amateur-Satellite Service.”