World Radio Conference

The Radio spectrum is a natural resource. It is an important resource, not only for the broadcasting and communications sectors but also for numerous other sectors such as the transport, security, scientific and leisure sectors. Radio waves do not stop at national boundaries, yet with this variety and extensive use we expect and normally can use the radio spectrum without being interfered with. This is due to international agreements on the use of the radio spectrum which national administration implement in their day-to-day management of the spectrum. These international agreements are developed under the auspices of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU This link will open in a new window

) and are called the International Radio Regulations.

So that these regulations are kept up to date and the rapid changes in technological developments can be responded to, the International Telecommunications Union organises conferences called World Radio Conferences (WRC) at regular intervals. The last conference was in 2012 and the next is due in 2015. Each member Administration of the ITU is entitled to participate at the conference and Ireland has done so at previous conferences.

Preparation for the conference is undertaken at both the national and European level. At the national level the Department of Communications Energy & Natural Resources established a National Preparatory Group (NPG).
At the European level a conference preparatory group of the CEPT This link will open in a new window

has been established. This involves all European Administrations covering Western, Central and Eastern Europe. The main function of this group is to harmonise the various positions within Europe, develop common proposal and briefs on each of the conference agenda items. The documents and reports of this group are available to the public on the European Communications Office (ECO) website.

An overview of the typical preparatory work and events at a WRC can been seen in this presentation and report from the WRC 2003.

See also the ITU web site for WRC 2007.

World Radio Conference

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