In response to our earlier report quoting the US ambassador to the World Radiocommunication Conference, we have received the following response from Jan Verduijn, CEPT coordinator and European spokesman on Agenda Item 1.13:
“In a press release Mr Richard Russell, the US Ambassador to the forthcoming World Radio Conference, states that the shortwave broadcasters will lose the battle with the military users for their extra broadcasting requirements in the band 4 – 10 MHz. However, the arguments used by Mr Russell are very wrong and misleading.
The real situation:
“Already for years the shortwave broadcasters have had enormous problems satisfying their requirements below 10 MHz. To have a good indication for these requirements, WRC-2000 requested the broadcasting community to show at WRC-2003 full details of their requirements in the frequency band 4 – 10 MHz.
“This resulted in a decision of WRC-2003 via Resolution 544 to ask for 250 kHz to solve the co-channel interference and up to 800 kHz to resolve both the co-channel and adjacent channel interference. This is the real reason that the broadcasters are asking for additional spectrum and not to replace analogue with digital transmissions. This Resolution 544 is, during the forthcoming WRC, part of Agenda item 1.13 dealing with the review of the bands 4 - 10 MHz.
“It is true that already from the beginning USA has indicated that it does not want to allow additional spectrum for broadcasting in the band 4 – 10 MHz. The USA is absolutely not alone in that opinion. It is true that CEPT (47 European countries) is the only regional organisation supporting additional spectrum for the broadcasters.
“Mr Russell argues also that the US Navy wants to use the HF bands – underutilised since the demise of Morse code - to support the broadcast of data over new IP-based services. This was however only possible via a modification of a part of the Radio Regulations dealing with the maritime use. This modification is also part of the mentioned Agenda item 1.13 via another Resolution 351 asking for more possibilities to introduce digital technology in the maritime spectrum. The USA has, in its input documents to the WRC, stated that it does not want any modification of the maritime bands as requested via Resolution 351.
“The USA says no to additional spectrum for broadcasting, whilst the USA is one of the countries polluting the spectrum of the Fixed- and Mobile Services (main users military) by allowing broadcasting emissions outside the exclusive frequency bands for broadcasting.
“It’s clear that the USA is using quasi technical arguments that are only of political nature and do not have any technical justification. CEPT has acknowledged the need for additional spectrum for broadcasting and via a number of proposals, CEPT has found a solution, beneficial for all services.
“Via this solution the broadcasters gain a 350 kHz extra spectrum, the military users will be compensated more than they lose on spectrum to the broadcasters, and the maritime users can introduce more digital technology than now is allowed. Personally I expect hard negotiations, but as usual during the last days of the Conference a compromise will be reached.”
(Source: Jan Verduijn, Netherlands, CEPT coordinator and European spokesman on Agenda Item 1.13)
(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)