TABLE OF CONTENTS Consumer demand for tetherless and mobile communications devices is growing enormously, which is resulting in an increasing demand for radio frequencies. This requires that the available frequency bands are carefully managed, to ensure that the current users can continue to operate without receiving (or causing) harmful interference, while providing opportunities for new applications and systems to be deployed. Consequently, spectrum management is an important consideration for all radio uses.
To many people, the need to manage the radio spectrum is an unnecessary burden, which is seen to restrict use of the frequency bands, and slow down innovation. However, spectrum management is necessary for very good reasons. The users of the radio spectrum are many, and varied, and so are their radio systems, which are used for much more than telecommunications.
There are many uses of the radio spectrum and they can be categorised as follows:
aeronautical uses for both mobile communications and radionavigation, both of which can be terrestrial or via a satellite;
amateur users, both terrestrial and satellite;
the broadcasting organisations, again both terrestrial and satellite;
the earth exploration satellite service for surveying and measurement purposes;
the fixed service, which is sub-divided into terrestrial and satellite, for communications between two fixed points;
the mobile service, for communications to a movable terminal, which is also subdivided into terrestrial and satellite;
maritime uses, similar to aeronautical,...
