Copenhagen hosted last 19-21 April the 42nd meeting of project team 44 (PT44) on satellite communications of the working group on Frequency Management (WG FM). The session, under French presidency, was attended by 27 participants encompassing a total of 11 administrations, as well as representatives from industry, specifically AB5 Consulting, Airbus Defence and Space, Avanti Communications, Cobham SATCOM, DJCSL, Eutelsat, Hispasat, Inmarsat, Intelsat, SES, Thales Alenia Space and ViaSat, and from the European Communications Office (ECO).
Various issues were dealt with, with the following agenda points standing out:
- Revision of ECC Report 66 on aircraft protection from satellite terminal emissions;
- Earth stations in motion operating in the Ku band with non-geostationary satellite systems;
- Public consultation of ECC decisions;
- Satellite solutions for 5G.
Regarding the revision of ECC Report 66, the contribution received from the Spectrum Engineering project team (SE40) was discussed, as well as the draft revision of that report; a response was drawn up for that group, requesting inclusion of the premises identified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) along with a specific section on establishment of an equivalent isotropically radiated power maximum so that licence-exempt earth stations can operate without restrictions.
As for the second point, the draft ECC report on regulatory questions concerning the use of earth stations in motion (ESIMs) operating in the Ku band with non-geostationary satellites was discussed and revised; a contribution for SE40 was also produced, asking for compatibility requisites to be established on a generic basis for application to any ESIM (regardless of the associated non-geostationary orbit satellite system).
With respect to the decisions under public consultation, as no comment was received on Decision ECC/DEC/(17)CC and given that most comments from Portugal on Decision ECC/DEC/(17)DD were approved, the two documents will be sent to WG FM for final approval (and subsequent adoption by the ECC).
Finally, it is noteworthy that PT44 was mandated by WG FM to produce an ECC report on satellite solutions for 5G; a preliminary version of the draft ECC report was produced at this meeting.
The 43rd meeting of PT44 should be held this coming 17-19 July.
