Regulatory

Introduction

The Regulatory Section has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on regulatory aspects of radiocommunications as national, European and international levels for the UK and its overseas territories.

Regulatory Expertise

The IPU provides advice on regulatory matters to assist business units and the UK Overseas Territories with assessing the impact of changes to the Radio Regulations and ITU-R Recommendations that could affect the status of UK radiocommunication services against those of other countries. This is especially important in respect of new applications where access to new services could be constrained or the integrity of existing service could be compromised.

As well as advice on the treaty obligations embodied within the Constitution, Convention and the Administrative Regulations of the ITU, there also other international treaties which can have an impact on operation of radiocommunications services. Some such as the SOLAS and STCW Conventions of the IMO are related solely to the use of radio installations at sea whereas others, developed within the United Nations, can have a direct impact on territorial jurisdiction as regards the licensing or protection of radiocommunication services. Increasingly, EU legislation may also have an impact on the licensing and management of radiocommunication services and IPU can assist in assessing the relative areas of competence between the EU and the national administrations of Member States in respect of national and international spectrum management.

Current Activities

1) Represent the interest of the UK and overseas territories in the relevant meetings of the ITU, CEPT and EU concerning:

	Application of the Radio Regulations and other international agreements involving radiocommunications
	Revision of the Radio Regulations
	Territorial Competence and Jurisdiction

2) Advise overseas territories on:

	International treaty obligations
	Revision of legislation and operational procedures
	Establishment of frequency registers

3) Coordinate UK interests on the international use of the short wave bands, especially for external broadcasting.