ITU Radio Regulations


The ITU Radio Regulations is a basic document of the International Telecommunication Union that regulates on law of nations scale radiocommunication services and the utilisation of radio frequencies. It is the supplementation to the ITU Constitution and Convention and in line with the ITU International Telecommunication Regulations. The ITU RR comprise and regulate the part of the allocated electromagnetic spectrum from 9 kHz to 300 GHz.

Structure

The current approved version of the ITU Radio Regulations is structured as follows:
Volume 1 – Articles
  • CHAPTER I – Terminology and technical characteristics
  • *Section I – General terms
  • *Section II – Specific terms related to frequency management
  • *Section III – Radiocommunication services
  • *Section IV – Radio stations and systems
  • *Section V – Operational terms
  • *Section VI – Characteristics of Emissions and Radio Equipment
  • *Section VII – Frequency Sharing
  • *Section VIII – Technical terms relating to space
  • CHAPTER II – Frequencies
  • CHAPTER III – Coordination, notification and recording of frequency assignments and Plan modifications
  • CHAPTER IV – Interferences
  • CHAPTER V – Administrative provisions
  • CHAPTER VI – Provisions for services and stations
  • CHAPTER VII – Distress and safety communications
  • CHAPTER VIII – Aeronautical services
  • CHAPTER IX – Maritime services
  • CHAPTER X – Provisions for entry into force of the Radio Regulations
Volume 2 – Appendices

Volume 3 – Resolutions and Recommendations

Volume 4 – ITU-R Recommendations incorporated by reference

Maps to be used in relation to Appendix 27

Definitions

The Radio Regulations define:
  • the allocation of different frequency bands to different radiocommunication services;
  • the mandatory technical parameters to be observed by radio stations, especially transmitters;
  • procedures for the coordination and notification of frequency assignments made to radio stations by national governments;
  • other procedures and operational provisions.

    Service types

Radio communication services are sub-divided into space-based radiocommunication, involving the use of one or more space stations or the use of one or more reflecting satellites or other objects in space; and terrestrial radiocommunication, which excludes space radiocommunication and radio astronomy.
The ITU Radio Regulations sets out the definitions of some 40 radio services including such services as the fixed service, the mobile service, the land mobile service, the broadcasting service, the standard frequency and time signal service, various satellite services.
Further sub-sets of some of these internationally defined services are often created at the national level. For example, within the land mobile service, a country may choose to define such services as paging, dispatch two-way radio service, cellular mobile telephone service, trunked mobile radio service, etc. Many of these definitions are based upon the nature of the service being provided rather than the international concept of a radiocommunication service. In other words, the term "service" can be used in these two different ways. No matter what definitions are adopted in a given country, with some specific exceptions which are allowed for in the ITU RRs, the use of the spectrum must fit in with the international definitions of radio services.

Update

The drafting, revision and adoption of the Radio Regulations is the responsibility of the World Radiocommunication Conferences of the ITU, meetings of which are typically held every three or four years.
Recent WRCs are:
  • Geneva, 1995
  • Geneva, 1997
  • Istanbul, 2000
  • Geneva, 2003
  • Geneva, 2007
  • Geneva, 2012
  • Geneva, 2015
  • Sharm el-Sheikh, 2019
The most recent published version of the Radio Regulations, the "Edition of 2016" contains the complete texts of the Radio Regulations as adopted and revised by WRC-15, including all articles, appendices, resolutions, and a subset of the recommendations issued by ITU-R .
The "Edition of 2020", adopted and reviewed by the WRC-19, is scheduled for publication in October 2020.