ITU updates global treaty to optimise radio spectrum management

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released an updated version of the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the global use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.

Entering into force on January 1, 2025, the 2024 edition of the ITU Radio Regulations is the result of a four-year process that culminated in four weeks of negotiations during the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), hosted last year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The UN arm of global communications, which announced this yesterday, said the regulations govern the global use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits for all radio services, systems and applications, including fixed and mobile broadband, satellite systems, sound and TV broadcasting, radio navigation, meteorological monitoring and prediction, space research and Earth exploration, amateur radio services and other topics. ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “The 2024 edition of the Radio Regulations marks a significant milestone in the world of technology.

“As technological progress advances and the demand for spectrum grows, the international treaty continues to evolve to accommodate new radiocommunication services and applications, minimize interference between services, and ensure equitable access to this essential resource.”

The treaty serves as the cornerstone of international radio frequency management, ensuring that spectrum allocations keep pace with the rapidly evolving technological landscape and meet the needs of modern communication systems.

Treaty provisions also direct how radio equipment and systems must operate to ensure efficient and effective coexistence among various services worldwide and anywhere in space, optimizing the usage of today’s increasingly crowded airwaves.

The 2024 Radio Regulations identifies new spectrum resources to support technological innovation, deepen global connectivity, increase access to and equitable use of space-based radio resources, and enhance safety at sea, in the air, and on land.

Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, Mario Maniewicz, said the updated Radio Regulations are the result of hard-won agreements reached at WRC-23 and a testament to the unwavering spirit of cooperation and compromise among all of our members to negotiate timely changes to the international treaty.

The updated treaty provides a framework for national spectrum management that aligns with international standards and guarantees the stable, predictable regulatory environment that is essential for the development of innovative radiocommunication services for all.”

Global regulation of the radio spectrum began with the signing of the first International Radio Telegraph Convention in Berlin on November 3, 1906, after 30 states came together and agreed on key maritime communications and safety provisions and established “SOS” as a globally recognised distress signal.

Since then, the Radio Regulations have evolved into a four-volume treaty of more than 2,000 pages. The treaty establishes the rights and obligations of ITU’s 193 member states and now covers more than 40 different radiocommunication services, spanning frequencies from 8.3 kilohertz (kHz) to 3000 gigahertz (GHz).

The ITU Radio Regulations facilitate equitable access to and rational use of the radio-frequency spectrum and geostationary satellite orbits, both globally shared and limited natural resources; support the efficient and effective operation of all radiocommunication services; and, as necessary, facilitate the introduction and regulation of new radiocommunication services and technologies.

According to the body, the international coordination mechanisms enshrined in the ITU-managed treaty promote its objective to ensure the availability of the frequencies provided for distress and safety communications and help prevent or resolve cases of harmful interference between the radio services of different administrations.

The 2024 Radio Regulations are available in all six UN official languages with electronic versions that can be downloaded free of charge. Print and DVD versions will be available for purchase in the coming weeks.