INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
General Secretariat

18 July 2001

To Member States of the ITU
Ref: CEC/DS/eb
Circular Letter No. 129
Contact: Dusan SCHUSTER
Tel: +41 22 730 5216
Fax: +41 22 730 5881
e-mail: dusan.schuster@itu.int

Subject: Planning of Terrestrial Broadcasting in the VHF and UHF Bands

To the Director General

Dear Sir/Madam,

1. The ITU Council, at its 2001 session (18 - 29 June 2001), considered the results of the recent consultation of the Member States of the European Broadcasting Area to convene a Regional Radiocommunication Conference to revise the Regional Agreement for the European Broadcasting Area (Stockholm, 1961), that was carried out in accordance with provisions Nos 310 and 301 of the ITU Convention. The Council adopted Resolution 1185 relating to the Regional Radiocommunication Conference to revise the Stockholm 1961 Agreement (see Annex 1 to this Circular letter). The Council also instructed the Secretary General to bring the afore-mentioned Resolution to the attention of all Member States.

2. In related discussions at the 2001 session of the Council, the Council Members from some of the Member States pertaining to the planning area of the Regional Agreement Relating to the Planning of VHF/UHF Television Broadcasting in the African Broadcasting Area and Neighbouring Countries, Geneva 1989 , expressed the wish to convene a Regional Radiocommunication Conference to revise the Geneva 1989 Agreement for the same purposes as those set out in Resolution 1185 and to combine it with the conference referred to in Resolution 1185. In addition, several Council Members, during the same session of the Council, expressed the wish of their Member States, as well as of other Member States not present at the Council session, to extend the planning area to countries not covered or only partially covered by the Stockholm-1961 and Geneva-1989 Agreements. In this regard, the Council considered draft Resolution 1180 (see Annex 2 to this Circular-letter), which envisages several consultation procedures with a view to establishing the planning area of the future regional radiocommunication conference (RRC). The following options are envisaged in this respect:

• 2.1 Convening of a RRC for the European Broadcasting Area only, as specified in Resolution 1185 (Annex 1 to this Circular-letter);
  
• 2.2 Convening of a RRC for the same purposes as those set out in Resolution 1185 but for the planning area of the Geneva-1989 Agreement only;
  
• 2.3 Convening of a RRC for the same purposes as those set out in Resolution 1185 but for the combined planning areas of the ST61 and GE89 Agreements;
  
• 2.4 Convening of a RRC for the same purposes as those set out in Resolution 1185 but for a planning area extended beyond the European Broadcasting Area to neighbouring countries and territories that are not currently defined as part of the European Broadcasting Area. On a provisional basis, and subject to further additions, the Council included the following countries and territories in this list: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation (that part of the territory which lies outside the European Broadcasting Area), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.;
  
• 2.5 Convening of a RRC for the same purposes as those set out in Resolution 1185 but for a planning area extended beyond the planning area of the Geneva-1989 Agreement to neighbouring countries and territories not currently defined as part of the planning area of the Geneva-1989 Agreement;
  
• 2.6 Convening of a RRC for the same purposes as those set out in Resolution 1185 but for the combined planning areas of the ST61 and GE89 Agreements, suitably extended to neighbouring countries and territories that are not currently defined as part of the European Broadcasting Area or of the planning area of the Geneva-1989 Agreement. On a provisional basis, and subject to further additions, the Council included the following countries and territories in this list: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation (that part of the territory which lies outside the European Broadcasting Area), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
  

3. With respect to options which involve planning areas that are not appropriately defined (notably the cases listed in paragraphs 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 above), the Council noted that Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994) entrusts the Council to propose a definition of a region when it becomes necessary for the purpose of convening a regional radiocommunication conference. However, the Council faced the difficulty of formally proposing a definition of a region for the purposes of convening a regional planning conference without knowing the positions of all Member States that may be interested to be included in such a region. Therefore, the Council instructed the Secretary-General to firstly seek the opinion of the Member States as to their wish to be included in a region, for the purposes of convening a regional planning conference, and then to proceed with the formal consultation procedure referred to in Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994).

4. The purpose of this Circular-letter is to seek the opinion of the administrations of Member States as to their wish to be included in the extended planning areas as listed in sub-paragraphs 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 of this Circular letter, bearing in mind the current provisional lists for sub-paragraphs 2.4 and 2.6, as well as the fact that no neighbouring country or territory was proposed during the Council session to be included in paragraph 2.5 dealing with the possible extension of the planning area of the Geneva-1989 Agreement. Administrations of Member States concerned are invited to communicate their positions in this respect at their earliest convenience by indicating which option they select, but in any case within 45 days from the date of this Circular-letter, so as to enable the carrying out of the other procedural steps, in particular, the formal adoption of Resolution 1180 by correspondence by the Council. The replies should be sent to the contact point indicated in the references of this Circular-letter.

5. The administrations of the Member States pertaining to the planning area of the Geneva-1989 Agreement, as well as the administrations of the Member States of the European Broadcasting Area, will be consulted separately on the issues referred to in operative paragraphs 1 and 2 of "instructs the Secretary General" of draft Resolution 1180.

Yours faithfully,
Yoshio UTSUMI
Secretary-General

Annexes: 1. Resolution 1185
               2. Draft Resolution 1180

 

ANNEX 1

RESOLUTION 1185

(approved at the sixteenth Plenary Meeting)

REGIONAL RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE FOR THE REVISION OF THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING AGREEMENT, STOCKHOLM, 1961, IN THE FREQUENCY BANDS 174-230 MHZ AND 470-862 MHZ *)

The Council,

considering

a) the proposals contained in the letter of consultation of 17 August 2000 (see letter DM-1163 from the Secretary General) carried out in accordance with the provisions No 310 and 301 of the ITU Convention, concerning the convening of a Regional Radiocommunication Conference (RRC) for the revision of parts of the Regional Agreement for the European Broadcasting Area, Stockholm, 1961 (European Broadcasting Agreement, Stockholm, (1961)),

b) the results of the above consultation contained in letter DM-1173 of 9 October 2000 from the Secretary General;

noting

that a broadcasting Plan for the European Broadcasting Area should take account of existing and planned use in the border areas adjacent to the European Broadcasting Area;

resolves

1. that a RRC for the revision of the European Broadcasting Agreement, Stockholm (1961), in the bands 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz will consist of two sessions, separated by about two years;

2. that the first session of the RRC will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 10 to 28 May 2004 with the following agenda:

• 2.1 to produce a report to the second session to include:
         a) the technical basis for the work of the second session of the RRC ;
         b) the necessary bases to facilitate planning exercises prior to the second session of the RRC;
         c) the form in which the requirements of administrations should be submitted
• 2.2 to decide upon the final date by which the requirements should be submitted to the ITU by administrations
• 2.3 to make a proposal to Council on the duration of the second session of the RRC within the limits of resolves 3,

3. that the second session of the RRC will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, during 2005 for a maximum of five weeks, to revise the Stockholm Agreement (1961) including:

• 3.1 the preparation, on the basis of proposals from administrations, of the report of the first session of the Conference and taking into consideration the report from the Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau on the intersessional work, of an agreement and an associated frequency plan for terrestrial digital broadcasting in the frequency bands 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz, taking account of the following non-exhaustive list of items:
                a) planning principles;
                b) protection of existing and planned analogue broadcasting stations and mechanisms, including time periods, for the migration from the analogue to the digital broadcasting situation;
                c) protection of other existing and planned services in the bands 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz;
                d) definition of terms to be used in the agreement;
                e) propagation characteristics and methods of forecasting field strength values in the VHF and UHF bands;
                f) planning criteria (including protection ratios), planning methods and network configurations (e.g. single-frequency networks, multi-frequency networks);
                g) inter-service and intra-service sharing and compatibility criteria, including frequency bands adjacent to the frequency bands 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz;
• 3.2 regulatory procedures relating to modifications of and additions to the Plan;
• 3.3 co-ordination procedures for the transition from analogue to the digital broadcasting situation;
• 3.4 regulatory procedures pertaining to the sharing of the frequency bands 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz between broadcasting and other services to which these frequency bands are also allocated;

4. to establish a Planning Project Team, open to administrations, assisted by the Radiocommunication Bureau to undertake the planning exercises prior to the second session of the RRC,

- instructs the Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau

1. to provide assistance, including the preparation and organisation of the RRC;

2. to develop planning tools, with the assistance from the Planning Project Team and the administrations, inter alia in order to aid administrations in the preparation of their requirements prior to the second session of the RRC;

3. to make the necessary arrangements for convening meetings of the Planning Project Team and to provide the necessary assistance,

- invites the ITU-R Study Groups and the Special Committee on Regulatory and Procedural Matters

to carry out, as a matter of urgency, the relevant technical, operational and regulatory studies and to prepare a report for submission to the first session of the RRC,

- instructs the Secretary-General

1. to take the necessary steps for convening the RRC;

2. to bring this Resolution to the attention of all Member States,

- invites the Administrations of the European Broadcasting Area and of neighbouring countries

1. to participate actively in the preparatory work for the RRC;

2. to support the Radiocommunication Bureau in the development of the planning tools, inter alia by providing available software.

---

ANNEX 2

DRAFT RESOLUTION 1180

(subject to approval by correspondence by the Council)

CONSULTATION OF MEMBER STATES ON THE PLANNING OF TERRESTRIAL
BROADCASTING IN THE VHF AND UHF BANDS

The Council,

considering

a) that following the result of the consultation of the Member States of the European Broadcasting Area to convene a Regional Radiocommunication Conference to revise the Regional Agreement for the European Broadcasting Area (Stockholm, 1961), hereinafter referred to as the Stockholm 1961 Agreement, it adopted, at its 2001 session, Resolution 1185 relating to the Regional Radiocommunication Conference to revise the Stockholm 1961 Agreement;

b) that at its 2001 session Member States, pertaining to the planning area of the Regional Agreement Relating to the Planning of VHF/UHF Television Broadcasting in the African Broadcasting Area and Neighbouring Countries, Geneva 1989, hereinafter referred to as the Geneva 1989 Agreement , expressed the wish to convene a Regional Radiocommunication Conference to revise the Geneva 1989 Agreement for the same purposes as those of Resolution 1185 and to combine it with the conference referred to in Resolution1185;

c) that during the same session of the Council, several Member States expressed the wish to extend the planning area to countries not covered or only partially covered by the Agreements referred to in considerings a and b above,

noting

a) that the combination of the planning areas of the Stockholm 1961 and the Geneva 1989 Agreements is not subject to the application of Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994);

b) that, from a technical as well as economical viewpoint, it will be beneficial to all Member States belonging to the combined planning area to undertake the planning process simultaneously,

fully aware of

a) provisions 301 to 305 of the Convention, according to which the convening of a Regional Radiocommunication Conference for the revision of the Geneva 1989 Agreement is subject to a positive reply by the majority of the Member States pertaining to the planning area of the Geneva 1989 Agreement following consultation by the Secretary General;

b) that Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994) entrusts the Council to propose to the Member States concerned a definition of a region when it becomes necessary for the purpose of convening a regional radiocommunication conference;

c) that the Resolution referred to above specifies that the region proposed by the Council for a regional radiocommunication conference shall be deemed to have been defined when two thirds of the Member States consulted have responded in the affirmative,

resolves

1. to propose, in application of provisions 301 to 305 of the Convention, the convening of a Regional Radiocommunication Conference to revise the Geneva 1989 Agreement with the same agenda, venue and duration as the conference referred to in Resolution 1185;

2. to propose to the Member States of the European Broadcasting Area and to the Member States pertaining to the planning area of the Geneva 1989 Agreement a merging of the Regional Radiocommunication Conferences to revise the Stockholm 1961 Agreement and the Geneva 1989 Agreement that may result from the application of resolves 1 above;

3. to propose, in application of Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994), the extension of the planning area, i.e. as applicable the planning area of the Stockholm 1961Agreement or the planning area of the Geneva 1989 Agreement or the combination of the planning areas of these two Agreements, to the countries that are not or only partially covered, and listed in "instructs the Secretary General", as applicable;

4. that the time period referred to in resolves 3 of Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994) shall be 8 weeks,

- instructs the Secretary General

as a matter of urgency

1. to consult the Member States pertaining to the planning area of the Geneva 1989 Agreement to seek their agreement for convening a Regional Radiocommunication Conference for the revision of the Geneva 1989 Agreement with the agenda, venue and duration as the conference referred to in Resolution 1185;

2. simultaneously with the consultation referred to in resolves 1 above, to consult the Member States of the European Broadcasting Area and the Member States pertaining to the planning area of the Geneva 1989 Agreement, to seek their agreement for the holding of a Regional Radiocommunication Conference with the same agenda, dates and venue as the conference referred to in Resolution 1185, for the purpose of developing an Agreement and Associated Plan covering both the planning area of the Stockholm 1961 Agreement and that of the Geneva 1989 Agreement;

3. subsequently with a view to cover the wishes expressed for the extension of the planning area and depending on the result of the consultations referred to in instructs the Secretary General 1 and 2:

• 3.1 if the replies to both the consultations under instructs the Secretary General 1 and 2 above yield the majorities required, as referred to in No. 47 of the Convention, to consult, in application of Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994) and taking account of resolves 4 above, the Member States of the planning area resulting from instructs the Secretary General 2 above and the countries listed below to seek their agreement on the extension of the planning area to cover the following countries that are not or only partially covered:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan […]

and simultaneously with the above consultation to consult the Member States indicated above to seek their agreement on the convening of a Regional Radiocommunication Conference for the extended planning area with the same agenda, dates and venue as the conference referred to in Resolution 1185,

or

• 3.2. if the replies to the consultation yield the majority required, as referred to in No. 47 of the Convention, under instructs the Secretary General 1 above but not that required, as referred to in No. 47 of the Convention, under instructs the Secretary General 2 above, to consult separately, in application of Resolution 7 (Kyoto 1994) and taking account of resolves 4 above:
  a) on the one hand the Member States of the European Broadcasting Area and the countries indicated below to seek their agreement on the extension of the planning area of the Regional Radiocommunication Conference to cover the following countries that are not or only partially covered:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan […]

and simultaneously with the above consultation to consult the Member States indicated above to seek their agreement on the convening of a Regional Radiocommunication Conference for the extended planning area with the same agenda, dates and venue as the conference referred to in Resolution 1185,

and

b) on the other hand the Member States, pertaining to the planning area of the Geneva 1989 Agreement, and the countries indicated below to seek their agreement on the extension of the planning area of the Regional Radiocommunication Conference for the extended planning area to cover the following countries that are not or only partially covered:

and simultaneously with the above consultation to consult the member States indicated above to seek their agreement on the convening of a Regional Radiocommunication Conference for the extended planning area with the same agenda, dates and venue as the conference referred to in Resolution 1185,

resolves further

1. if the replies to the consultations yield the majority required, as referred to in No. 47 of the Convention, under instructs the Secretary General 1 and 2 above but not that required under instructs the Secretary General 3.1 above, the planning area of Resolution 1185 shall be replaced by the planning areas of both the Stockholm 1961 and Geneva 1989 Agreements;

2. if the replies to the consultation under instructs the Secretary General 3.1 yield the majority required as referred to in No. 47 of the Convention, the planning area of Resolution 1185 shall be replaced by the planning areas of both the Stockholm 1961 and Geneva 1989 Agreements and the following countries that are not or only partially covered:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan […]

3. if the replies to the consultations under

a) instructs the Secretary General 3.2a yield the majority required as referred to in resolves 3 of Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994), a Conference will be convened for the European Broadcasting Area and the countries indicated below with the agenda as contained in Resolution 1185:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan […]

b) instructs the Secretary General 3.2b yield the majority required as referred to in resolves 3 of Resolution 7 (Kyoto, 1994), a Conference will be convened for the planning area of the Geneva 1989 Agreement and the countries indicated below with the agenda as contained in Resolution 1185.