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Access to radio frequencies is essential for a range of scientific measurements, from those made by satellites enabling weather prediction to groundbreaking astronomical observations. As demands for spectrum access increase, our new report discusses actions needed to protect critical scientific uses of the radio spectrum in advance of the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027.
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Consensus
·2025
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations are an internationally agreed treaty that regulates use of the radio spectrum. The regulations consist of more than 2,500 pages of individual articles, appendices, and resolutions. The rapidly evolving nature of radiocommunications te...
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Description
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene a committee to prepare a short report which will articulate the views of the U.S. science community on specific Agenda Items at issue at the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) with potential impact on scientific observations, particularly future radio astronomy and Earth remote sensing observations. The committee will:
• Identify the 2027 WRC Agenda Items set at the 2023 WRC that are potentially relevant to the scientific use of the radio and microwave spectrum, namely for, but not limited to, radio astronomy and Earth remote sensing;
• Assess each of the identified Agenda Items for their potential impact---positive, negative, or none---on radio frequency science applications;
• Provide the scientific justification for protecting radio astronomy and Earth remote sensing observations in Agenda Items with potential impact on those observations, where appropriate;
• Solicit and consider input from the broad international science community relevant to the committee's task; and
• Establish a position, where needed and within the scope of the identified Agenda Items, to ensure that radio astronomy and Earth remote sensing and other related radio frequency science applications will continue to be able to make needed observations.
• Provide initial view on preliminary agenda items for the 2031 WRC conference.
In preparing its report, the committee will take into account the anticipated future spectrum requirements of the scientific communities and will ensure that the needs of multiple communities are appropriately considered. The report will not consider impacts on the transmission of scientific data.
Collaborators
Committee
Chair
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Vice Chair
Sponsors
NASA
National Science Foundation
Major units and sub-units
Center for Advancing Science and Technology
Lead
Aeronautics, Space, and Astronomy Program Area
Lead