The World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-2019) is due to open in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday 28 October. The meeting, which lasts four weeks, will be attended by three thousand delegates from most of the countries around the world, and will discuss and agree changes to the ITU Radio Regulations.

IARU and its member-societies will be there, representing the amateur and amateur satellite services with a team of 14 people from 10 countries.

Of particular interest to IARU are the positions on:

• Agenda Item (AI) 1.1, to allocate spectrum in the 50 – 54 MHz Region in Region 1 to the amateur service
• AI 1.13 to consider new spectrum of International Mobile Telecommunications, which potentially might impact amateur spectrum at around 47 GHz
• AI 1.16 which could impact the 5 GHz amateur spectrum
• AI 9.1.6 on Wireless Power Transmission, where harmonics of WPT systems can impact the MF/HF radio spectrum
• AI 10 – where it is possible that future agenda items at WRC-23 could impact the amateur service, including the 1240 – 1300 MHz band.

This meeting is the culmination of four years’ work by IARU in ITU and regional telecommunications organizations to protect and enhance amateur service frequency allocations. The IARU team will provide updates as the Conference progresses.

The WRC has a wide-ranging agenda of which the amateur issues are but a small part. For more information about the WRC visit
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU‑R/conferences/wrc/Pages/default.aspx.

Also available in Español (Spanish).