science

ITU Radio Regulations

ITU Radio Regulations is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand ITU Radio Regulations rather than just read about it. In short: The ITU Radio Regulations (RR) is a basic document of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 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 (ITR).

Key takeaways

ITU Radio Regulations belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect ITU Radio Regulations to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of ITU Radio Regulations from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The ITU Radio Regulations (RR) is a basic document of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 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 (ITR). The ITU RR comprise and regulate the part of the allocated electromagnetic spectrum (also: radio frequency spectrum) from 9 kHz to 300 GHz.

Structure The current approved version of the ITU Radio Regulations (addition 2012) is structured as follows: Volume 1 – Articles

CHAPTER I – Terminology and technical characteristics Section I – General terms (article 1.1-1.15) Section II – Specific terms related to frequency management (article 1.16-1.18) Section III – Radiocommunication services (article 1.19-1.60) Section IV – Radio stations and systems (article 1.61-1.115) Section V – Operational terms (article 1.116-1.136) Section VI – Characteristics of Emissions and Radio Equipment (article 1.137-1.165) Section VII – Frequency Sharing (article 1.166-1.176) Section VIII – Technical terms relating to space (article 1.177-1.191) 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 (ensuring technical compatibility) and notification (formal recording and protection in the Master International Frequency Register) of frequency assignments made to radio stations by national governments; other procedures and operational provisions.

Service types

Radio communication services (or sradiocommunication 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 (WRCs) of the ITU, meetings of which are typically held every three or four years. Recent WRCs are:

Geneva, 1995 (WRC-95) Geneva, 1997 (WRC-97) Istanbul, 2000 (WRC-2000) Geneva, 2003 (WRC-03) Geneva, 2007 (WRC-07) Geneva, 2012 (WRC-12) Geneva, 2015 (WRC-15) Sharm el-Sheikh, 2019 (WRC-19) 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 (previously known as the CCIR) (those "recommendations" which have a mandatory nature, as a result of being cited in the Radio Regulations). The "Edition of 2020", adopted and reviewed by the WRC-19, is scheduled for publication in October 2020.

Notes

References

External links Radio Regulations website World Radiocommunication Conferences website Historic editions of the Radio Regulations (History of ITU Portal) at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2012-08-03) 100 Years of ITU Radio Regulations (1906-2006) 100 years of International Radio Regulations Contents of the Radio Regulations (including selected sections) ICT Regulation Toolkit by infoDev in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with ITU Radio Regulations

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what ITU Radio Regulations claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to ITU Radio Regulations before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about ITU Radio Regulations ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of ITU Radio Regulations

In research: ITU Radio Regulations appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses ITU Radio Regulations in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: ITU Radio Regulations is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunications law, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for ITU Radio Regulations outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study ITU Radio Regulations in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what ITU Radio Regulations means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain ITU Radio Regulations out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is ITU Radio Regulations in simple terms?

Why does ITU Radio Regulations matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study ITU Radio Regulations?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on ITU Radio Regulations.