WRC-23: Representing the Americas

By Víctor Martínez, Chairman, Working Group for Regional and World Radiocommunication Conferences, Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL)

The Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL) is an entity of the Organization of American States (OAS) with a mission to promote the continuous development of telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICTs) in alignment with sustainable development.

This can only be achieved through cooperation and coordination that facilitates infrastructure deployment, telecommunication service provision, radio-frequency spectrum harmonization, ICT capacity building, and other activities.

As a collaborative regional workspace, CITEL seeks the common good in the Americas and promotes unified criteria and common proposals.

On this basis, the organization is responsible for regional cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The regional preparatory group’s work

Regional work on radiocommunication issues is carried out for the Americas through CITEL’s Permanent Consultative Committee II: Radiocommunications, which is in charge of coordinating preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC). Thus, the committee prepares and submits Inter-American Proposals (IAPs) for consideration by ITU Member States.

CITEL’s Permanent Consultative Committee II (PCC.II) gives all WRC‑23 agenda items equal levels of importance and relevance for the region. The conference preparatory work reflects regional priorities that were defined last year at the latest World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC).

Preparatory activities

WRC‑23 preparatory activities for the Americas will strengthen the deployment of modern, resilient, secure telecommunications/ICT infrastructure and help enhance the region’s policy and regulatory frameworks to connect the unconnected — all with a special emphasis on vulnerable populations and remote areas with difficult access.

As the region readies itself for the upcoming conference, the preparatory group has submitted five inter-American proposals, with ten more in draft form. Discussions are underway about several preliminary proposals for CITEL to present to WRC‑23 on behalf of national administrations.

Additional harmonized frequency bands for different services

CITEL is striving to define a regional position that would allow the identification of additional harmonized frequency bands for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) at the global and regional level, as well as the development of satellite services to expand connectivity everywhere, especially in remote areas with difficult access. The regional position would also support Earth exploration-satellite services (EESS), meteorology, space research, and other vital functions.

These priorities call for efficient use of the radio spectrum. The successful and sustainable development of our region remains CITEL’s prime objective.

This article first appeared in the ITU News Magazine, which outlines key technical and regional perspectives on topics to be discussed at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) taking place in Dubai, UAE, between 20 November and 15 December 2023.

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