WMO Position on the WRC-27 Agenda
The radio-frequency spectrum is a finite natural resource shared by every country. WMO sets out where WRC-27 decisions affect the frequencies that weather, climate and water observing systems depend on.
World Radiocommunication Conferences are held every four years to review and revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and of geostationary and non-geostationary-satellite orbits. Several agenda items of the upcoming conference are of prime interest to the meteorological community.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), through its Expert Team on Radio-Frequency Coordination (ET-RFC), has developed the Preliminary WMO Position on the WRC-27 agenda, setting out the technical and regulatory positions of the international meteorological community on each agenda item affecting weather, climate, water and related environmental observing systems.
WMO participates in WRCs as an observer. Decisions are taken by national delegations. It is therefore essential that issues of importance to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) are duly recognized and taken into account by those delegations through their National Radiocommunication Authorities.
The position is designed to help NMHSs coordinate with their national spectrum regulator in preparation for WRC-27 – and to be promoted by them in that coordination.
Reference document
The complete Preliminary WMO Position on the WRC-27 agenda, developed by the ET-RFC and submitted formally to the relevant ITU-R Study Group meetings, contains WMO's technical and regulatory position on every relevant agenda item. It covers 14 agenda items of prime interest or concern for WMO Members and is available in all six UN languages.
Open the WMO Position on the WRC-27 agenda ›
The 14 agenda items at a glance
Among the WRC-27 agenda items, 14 are related to frequency bands or issues of prime interest or concern for meteorology and related environmental fields. They fall into four groups.
Prime interest – defend
Proposals that would threaten meteorological frequency bands. WMO opposes them or has concerns.
| Agenda item | Topic | Frequency band(s) |
|---|---|---|
| AI 1.1 | ESIMs – aeronautical & maritime Earth stations in motion | 47.2–50.2 / 50.4–51.4 GHz |
| AI 1.3 | NGSO FSS gateways | 51.4–52.4 GHz |
| AI 1.7 | IMT (5G) identification | 4.4–4.8 / 7.125–8.4 / 14.8–15.35 GHz |
| AI 1.8 | Radiolocation service | 231.5–275 / 275–700 GHz |
Prime interest – secure
Proposals where new allocations or protections can be obtained. WMO actively supports them.
| Agenda item | Topic | Frequency band(s) |
|---|---|---|
| AI 1.17 | Protection of receive-only space weather sensors | 27.5–28.0 / 29.7–30.2 / 32.2–32.6 / 37.5–38.325 / 73.0–74.6 / 608–614 MHz |
| AI 1.18 | Protection of EESS (passive) from active services in adjacent bands | 86–92 / 114.25–116 / 164–167 / 200–209 GHz |
| AI 1.19 | New EESS (passive) allocations for sea-surface temperature | 4.2–4.4 / 8.4–8.5 GHz |
Of concern – monitor
WMO monitors these items and has stated positions protecting related meteorological bands.
| Agenda item | Topic | Frequency band(s) |
|---|---|---|
| AI 1.4 | FSS & BSS downlinks | 17.3–17.8 GHz |
| AI 1.11 | Space-to-space MSS links | 1518–1675 / 2483.5–2500 MHz |
| AI 1.12 | Low-data-rate MSS (IoT constellations) | 1427–1432 / 1645.5–1646.5 / 1880–1920 / 2010–2025 MHz |
| AI 1.13 | MSS direct-to-device (satellite-to-phone) | 694–2700 MHz |
| AI 1.14 | Additional MSS allocations | 2010–2025 / 2120–2160 / 2160–2170 MHz |
Standing items – recurring
Recurring agenda items that WMO follows at every conference.
| Agenda item | Topic |
|---|---|
| AI 7 | Satellite regulatory procedures |
| AI 10 | Preliminary agenda for WRC-31 |
How National Meteorological and Hydrological Services can act
- Identify the WRC-27 agenda items most relevant to the systems your service operates or relies on.
- Transmit the WMO Position formally to your National Radiocommunication Authority, with a short note on why those items matter nationally.
- Engage with your national spectrum regulator and seek its support on the relevant agenda items, and ask to join national WRC-27 coordination meetings.
WRC-27 is scheduled to take place 18 October – 12 November 2027 in Shanghai, China.
See also the WMO Position on the WRC-23 Agenda.