The 20th International Space Radio Monitoring Meeting Within the context of the international cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and world countries in the field of frequency spectrum management, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) hosts the 20th international Space Radio Monitoring Meeting during the period 16 to 18 October. The agenda of the three-day meeting will discuss a number of significant issues relating to space radio monitoring.
The first day of the meeting will address the cases of space interference and ways to solve them while reviewing the latest reports of ITU on space monitoring and the innovative solutions in space monitoring as well as the most evident challenges in the future. On the second day, all participants will be able to visit the TRA's Satellite Radio Monitoring Station (SRMS), which was officially inaugurated earlier this year and is considered the first of its kind in the Middle East to be operated by a regulator. Participants will be able to identify the technical capabilities of the station and closely recognize its most prominent features. On the third day, the meeting will discuss topics related to the regulatory administrations and aspects of cooperation between them through ad hoc meetings with the administrations' representatives.
Engineer Yousuf Al-Balushi, TRA Vice President of Frequency Spectrum management Affairs emphasized in his speech at the opening ceremony of this meeting that the field of space communications has been witnessing great strides in recent years in conjunction with an increase in the number of satellites and small transmitters. This has created several challenges for using space communications such as harmful interference cases and unlawful use of these services. It has therefore become increasingly necessary to find appropriate solutions to overcome these difficulties by using the proper monitoring systems and equipment, combine efforts and strengthen international cooperation between all administrations and concerned parties to minimize the effects of interference and unlawful uses. It is also very crucial to provide support to the ITU to perform its regulatory role in coordinating the use of satellite networks and ensuring their operation without interference. Al-Balushi further added that hosting the 20th International Space Radio Monitoring Meeting in Oman for the first time stems from the TRA Oman conviction that the meeting and its agenda are of great importance that comes in continuation of TRA Oman efforts to consolidate and boost international cooperation in all spectrum related issues in general and space monitoring in particular.
Mr. Al-Balushi said that TRA initiated coordination with other administrations that are concerned with space monitoring, in addition to the ongoing discussions with the ITU on signing a memorandum of understanding to facilitate solving cases of space interference, as it is the case with other administrations that own satellite monitoring stations.
TRA is also in the process of listing this station within the stations contained in the ITU report No. 2182, for the stations available to measure emissions from both geostationary and non-geostationary satellite stations, to be the ninth station of its kind. This will increase cooperation in monitoring space and detecting interference which ensures optimal use of space resources.
At the conclusion of his speech, Mr. Al-Balushi extended his thanks to Omantel, Kratos, Oreedoo and Azyan Telecom for sponsoring the meeting.
It is worth noting that this meeting is being held annually since 1998 and has been previously hosted by a number of administrations of advanced countries in possession of space radio monitoring stations such as Japan, Germany, USA, China and South Korea. The honor of organizing this meeting with the participation of representatives from various organizations, ITU, International Civil Aviation Organization and manufacturers from all over the globe in this edition is a sign of the international community’s confidence in Oman’s capabilities represented by TRA and its excellence in the field of frequency spectrum management.
Source: TRA Oman PR