This unique seminar, given for four days, is one in the series of satellite-related courses offered by the USTTI in the year 2000. It is available as a one-time opportunity to learn from an administration’s, and an international point-of-view, the requirements for implementing satellite telecommunication systems. International satellite experts at the Federal Communications Commission and other organizations, will show how to apply international treaty requirements applicable to all administrations interested in launching and operating satellite networks under the protection offered through appropriate coordination and registration at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Geneva, Switzerland. In particular, seminar attendees will hear and see presentations in a classroom setting from a number of U.S. government and other satellite engineers and administrators, long-involved in the business of satellite notification, satellite coordination, satellite registration, and satellite implementation. Particular attention will be paid at this seminar to the latest changes in the international Radio Regulations, updated through the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-2000) scheduled for May 8 - June 2, 2000, in Istanbul, Turkey.

This seminar will begin with a three-day classroom learning experience that will divide, after more general plenary sessions, into two specific tracks; (1) technical and (2) legal/administrative; followed with a fourth day of workshops using ITU software on computers. On the fourth day, comprising the workshops the seminar will be broken into three separate groups to reduce the number of participants in any one group for more effective learning, and to better allow hands-on working with computers and satellite computational/analysis software. This satellite computational/analysis software is he same used by the ITU staff, for example, in applying potential interference criteria to determine which administrations may be affected by a notified network from another administration.

The seminar will begin with an explanation of the need for satellite notification, coordination, and registration, followed by a detailed examination of the ITU satellite registration process from A to Z, and the protection it affords. Procedures for accomplishing coordination and agreement between affected administrations, identified through the ITU examination process will be examined. Taking into account recent decisions of WRC-2000, compatibility analyses between geostationary satellite networks, and then analyses among non-geostationary (LEO, MEO, HEO, and elliptical orbit) constellations, followed by analyses between GSO and NGSO networks, will be presented. Radio Regulation Article S8 (Status of frequency assignments recorded in the Master International Frequency Register), Article S9 (Procedure for effecting coordination with or obtaining agreement of other administrations), Article S11 (Notification and recording of frequencing assignments), and Article S14 (Procedure for review of a finding or other decision of the Bureau), will be covered in detail. Radio Regulation Appendix S4 related to tables os satellite characteristics used in the ITU notification, coordination, and registration process will be explained. The broadcast-satellite service (television) plan and its feeder links, associated with Appendix S30/S30A, as well as the fixed-satellite service plan associated with Appendix S30B, will be examined. The plenary session of the seminar will include discussion of recent World Trade Organization agreements (space segment and terminals); how the ITU Global Mobile Personal communication System (GMPCS) agreement works in reality; and the current status of discussions at the United Nations Committee on Peaceful uses of Outer Space, particularly with respect to orbital debris. Time will be devoted to explaining how administrations may implement new satellite cost-recovery decisions of the ITU Council and of WRC-2000, as well as to explaining due diligence procedures for satellite systems. Various other international regulations and requirements pertaining to satellites will be included in these presentations.

Three different workshops on the fourth day will specifically encompass ITU forms, engineering software, and electronic publications used on a daily basis for development of satellite networks. These three different workshops, each on equal group size, will be conducted simultaneously and then repeated three times so that the entire seminar participation will be able to better learn from the computers used in a smaller, hands-on environment.

Note: This seminar is designed for participants from those administrations which have not notified networks to the ITU, or engaged in satellite coordination with other administrations.

At this seminar, satellite experts will help students (1) learn how to successfully navigate the ITU notification, coordination, and registration processes for satellites and associated Earth stations in both the geostationary and non-geostationary context; (2) understand how to apply the latest international Radio Regulations (updated from the World Radiocommunication Conference scheduled for May 2000) related to satellite frequency allocations and operations; (3) learn the Rules of Procedure used by the ITU Radio Regulations Board in reaching its decisions on registering satellite networks; (4) work directly with mathematical satellite and Earth station analyses tools and ITU satellite notification/registration forms through hands-on computer-driven workshops; and (5) learn how to apply satellite software developed within the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau for completing satellite notification/registration forms

Technical and legal/administrative

Oct. 30

October 31-November 3, 2000

Washington, D.C. area

K2-324, K2-303, K2-307, K2-311, K2-317, K2-321