Introduction

Decisions made at next year’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27) in Shanghai concerning the global harmonization of spectrum frequency bands for terrestrial and satellite services will have significant and long-lasting effects on the competitiveness of leading U.S. industries. Held every four years, the WRC is the treaty-level conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency responsible for coordinating the shared global use of radio spectrum and developing worldwide technical rules for communications networks. By updating the international Radio Regulations, each WRC helps shape global economies of scale for telecommunications equipment, consumer devices, and services.

WRC-27 will be particularly important in determining whether America’s emerging and currently dominant low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers have the market access and spectrum capacity needed to scale, reduce costs, and develop new services for consumers in the United States and around the world. Spectrum-sharing and interference rules adopted by the ITU are especially important for satellite services because, unlike most terrestrial wireless systems, virtually all satellite spectrum is shared.

As an innovative and rapidly growing sector, LEO satellite constellations have attracted significant attention at the ITU. More than 80 percent of the items currently on the WRC-27 agenda directly or indirectly affect LEO satellite operators—an industry in which U.S. firms currently lead the world. ITU decisions are particularly consequential for satellite operators. Unlike cellular providers, which can obtain exclusive-use licenses within national markets, satellite operators must function within a globally shared spectrum environment governed by both ITU rules and national regulations. For LEO constellations, global spectrum harmonization, power limits, and country-by-country market access are essential to achieving economies of scale. A balanced ITU spectrum policy that reflects U.S. interests and values can further expand the benefits of wireless communications by supporting interoperable global markets and enabling truly ubiquitous, seamless connectivity.

In short, the U.S. delegation to WRC-27 must work to shape satellite spectrum allocations, market-access rules, and interference protections that will govern future communications networks. Doing so will benefit major U.S. industries while advancing democratic approaches to communications policy. The alternative is to cede influence to geopolitical rivals advancing different, self-interested and often illiberal policy agendas. This task will be especially important—and especially challenging—in Shanghai, where China will enjoy significant home-field advantages.

This paper focuses on five issues that should rank among the highest U.S. priorities at WRC-27. The first section provides background on the WRC process and recommends steps the United States can take to prepare early, establish strong positions, and build coalitions that begin with countries in ITU Region 2 (the Americas). The remainder of the paper examines six current agenda items—along with one additional issue that should be added to the WRC-27 agenda—and explains why strong U.S. positions on each would best advance American economic interests and values.