
On 15 January 2024, ESPI and the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) organised an event titled “The Earth Observation Challenge: Safeguarding Radio Frequency Spectrum for a Sustainable Future” in Brussels, promoting a discussion about the radio spectrum, its importance for Earth observation, and its future.
The event focused on spectrum allocation, the ITU and WRC processes, and especially Agenda Item 1.7 for WRC-27 – a topic of particular concern, as it could see radio spectrum frequencies currently allocated solely for Earth observation shared between the EO and telecommunications communities.
Key takeaways from this ESPI-EARSC event are available here.
In the first half of the event, participants set the scene on the issues surrounding sharing the X-Band with actors beyond the EO community, regulatory challenges, and international differences in approaches to spectrum. Speakers highlighted the properties that make the X-Band uniquely valuable for the EO sector, long planning times that make sharing or reallocation infeasible, and provided advice to companies who want to amplify their voices on the issue.
The keynote address was delivered by Matteo Emanuelli, Future SAR Programmes Manager, Airbus, and the four panellists included:
- Markus Dreis, Frequency Manager, EUMETSAT.
- Ralf Ewald, Civil Security and Regulatory Affairs Department Head, DLR.
- Antoine Masse, Earth Observation Projects Director, IGN FI.
- Matteo Cappella, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Leaf Space.
Throughout the second half of the event, the participants underscored the negative impacts the proposed X-band sharing under agenda item 1.7, as well as other WRC-27 agenda items, will have on Europe’s ability to provide timely, high-quality EO data. At ESA alone, the decisions taken on agenda item 1.7 will affect 21 EO missions — one of the greatest threats on the WRC-27 workplan. In light of the situation’s gravity, during the second panel, the discussion focused on the key steps required to ensure efficient coordination for and the most impact at WRC-27.
The keynote address was delivered by Simonetta Cheli, Director of EO Programmes and Head of ESRIN, ESA and the four panellists included:
- Mauro Facchini, Head of Earth Observation Unit, DG DEFIS.
- Gerasimos Sofianatos, Head of Radio Spectrum Policy Unit, DG CNECT.
- Vadim Nozdrin, Radiocommunication Bureau Study Group Counsellor, ITU.
- Wladimir Bocquet, Regulatory Strategy & Space Policy Director, Spire.
Key takeaways of the event are available here.
The event aligns with ESPI’s and EARSC’s increased work on the topics of spectrum, including:
We are committed to continuing our work on this topic and extend our gratitude to EARSC for co-organising the event, Airbus for its sponsorship and the speakers and participants for an insightful discussion.