What is the ITU?
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a United Nations specialised agency headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with 193 Member States. For satellite operators, the ITU's most critical function is the administration of global radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbital resources. The ITU Radio Regulations (RR) constitute a binding international treaty that defines which frequency bands are allocated to which services (Fixed Satellite Service, Mobile Satellite Service, Broadcasting Satellite Service, etc.) and establishes the procedures for filing, coordinating, and registering satellite networks.
The filing and coordination process
A satellite operator wanting to use a specific frequency band and orbital position must file a satellite network coordination request with their national administration, which submits it to the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. The filing is published in the ITU's Notification Special Section. Other administrations operating networks in the same frequency band then have the right to require coordination — bilateral negotiations to ensure the new system does not cause harmful interference to existing networks. This coordination process can take years for GEO satellites in contested frequency bands and orbital slots.
Milestone requirements
To prevent 'spectrum warehousing' (filing for vast amounts of spectrum without launching), the ITU enforces milestone requirements for non-geostationary (NGSO) systems: operators must demonstrate they have launched a minimum percentage of their authorised constellation within defined timeframes, or their priority lapses. This rule became critical with the emergence of mega-constellations filing for tens of thousands of satellites.
World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC)
The ITU revises its Radio Regulations at World Radiocommunication Conferences held every 4 years (WRC-19, WRC-23, WRC-27). WRC agendas address new spectrum needs for emerging satellite services, interference resolution between systems, and framework updates for new orbital regimes. National delegations negotiate satellite spectrum allocations that will shape the industry for decades.