scope:

OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE 

The ITU is the specialized agency of the United Nations for telecommunication matters where international agreements are made on the use of the radio frequency spectrum. At World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs), convened about every three to four years, changes are made to the ITU Radio Regulations, including the Table of Frequency Allocations (Article 5 of the ITU Radio Regulations), on the basis of proposals made by States. This mechanism was introduced in 1992 in order to better adapt the Table of Frequency Allocations to rapid technological developments and spectrum requirements for all users of the radio frequency spectrum.

A consequence of this process is that a coordinated aeronautical position (the ICAO Position) must be established for every ITU World Radiocommunication Conference and finalized well in advance of the ITU conference itself, in order to be of maximum use to aviation authorities. The ICAO Position is intended to be used by civil aviation authorities in their national discussions with the radio regulatory authorities when developing proposals for submission by their administrations to meetings of regional telecommunication organizations which prepare regional positions for ITU Conferences as well as to the ITU Conferences themselves and to brief the delegations at these meetings. In addition, it is to be used by aviation experts at these conferences and is submitted by ICAO to the ITU conferences in the form of an information paper. The ICAO Position contains the agreed radio frequency allocation requirements for aeronautical radio services, including the necessary protection from harmful interference, that are provided to support safety-critical aeronautical communication, navigation and surveillance systems. The ICAO Position, the ICAO spectrum strategy and the ICAO policy statements in this handbook are developed by the Air Navigation Commission, with the assistance of the Aeronautical Communications Panel (ACP) Working Group F and the Navigation System Panel (NSP), and approved by the ICAO Council. In developing the ICAO Position, all ICAO Member States and relevant international organizations are consulted.

With this background, the prime objectives of this document are:

a) to provide a consolidated and up-to-date statement of agreed spectrum requirements for aeronautical services and the ICAO policy in the frequency bands used by international civil aviation for the communication, navigation and surveillance systems that are to be provided for air traffic purposes, taking into account all future needs;

b) to provide a source of reference for relevant ITU regulations, resolutions, recommendations and associated ITU-Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) material;

c) to provide a convenient record for important frequency management material, such as the criteria applied in the planning of radio frequency assignments, and the protection from interference; and

d) to provide background information on the international spectrum management institutional framework and the main ITU elements.