The 48th meeting of WG FM project team 44 (PT44) on satellite communications was held last 23-26 April in Copenhagen.
The meeting chaired by France counted the participation of 31 delegates from 12 administrations, the European Communications Office (ECO) and several industry representatives.
Various issues were considered, of which the following stand out:
- discussion of results of the public consultation on ECC Report 280 on satellite solutions for 5G;
- discussion of results of the public consultation on ECC Report 279 on Earth stations operating with non-geostationary satellite systems (NGSOs) in the Ku band;
- discussion of results of the public consultation on Decisions ECC/DEC/(18)DD and (18)EE on Earth stations in motion operating in the Ku band, respectively operating with non-geostationary satellite systems and geostationary satellites;
- revision of ECC decisions based on the conclusions of ECC Report 272;
- new working item for Earth stations on board aircraft operating in the 12.75-13.25 GHz band;
- operations via satellite for machine-to-machine/internet of things (M2M/IoT) (FM44_33).
Regarding the first point, the results of the public consultation on ECC Report 280 were discussed. Comments were received from the Finnish administration, the ESOA, the GSA and the GSMA, and a solution found for each comment received. Draft ECC Report 280 will be submitted to WG FM for final approval and publication.
Discussion of the remaining documents submitted to public consultation was quicker, achieving a consolidated version for all of them. Draft ECC Report 279 will thus be submitted to WG FM for final approval and publication; Decisions ECC/DEC/(18)DD and (18)EE will be submitted to WG FM for adoption and subsequent forwarding to the ECC for final approval and publication.
In the scope of the revision of ECC decisions based on the results of ECC Report 272, Decision ECC/DEC/(13)01 was revised; it will be submitted to WG FM for approval for public consultation. Based on that change, a methodology was established to modify the remaining ECC decisions, which should happen during the next FM44 meeting.
Note that most of the administrations present approved submitting to WG FM the proposal to draw up a new ECC decision on Earth stations on board aircraft operating in 12.75-13.25 GHz. This proposal will be presented at the next WG FM meeting for adoption and subsequent submission to the ECC for approval.
Finally, the draft ECC report on satellite operations for M2M/IoT was debated and revised. However, the document was deemed not sufficiently mature to be presented to WG FM, so it was decided to request an extension of the period for concluding this working item until February 2019.
The 49th meeting should be held on 4-6 September 2018.
