The Global VSAT Forum (GVF) is calling on all African countries to adopt a “no change” stance against the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) sector’s play for the C-band satellite broadband spectrum to protect the vast range of services provided by satellite operators through this frequency.

The IMT was lobbying the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for additional spectrum below 6 GHz to meet the increasing demand for mobile services – a move that was heavily criticised by commercial satellite operators, said GVF correspondent Geoff Daniel.

In the run-up to the ITU’s expected decision on the possible reallocation of some satellite spectrum for IMT use at the World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC), in November, GVF secretary-general David Hartshorn claimed that the split of the C-band satellite spectrum, which was used extensively by satellite operators, would jeopardise thousands of services across the African continent and threaten billions of dollars in investment.

In a paper addressed to the African Telecommunication Union and distributed at the Southern African Digital Broadcasting Association- (Sadiba-) hosted Digital Broadcasting Now conference on Wednesday, he said more than 70 satellites provided critical and essential services to sub-Saharan Africa through the use of C-band.

Hartshorn warned that the reallocation of the spectrum would impact air navigation and safety, critical communications, civil defense, security and military networks, national and international broadcasting, the backhaul and back-up of terrestrial telecommunications networks and financial and banking transactions, as well as services provided to industries such as oil and gas, mining and agriculture.

The move also placed significant investments by commercial satellite operators at risk.

More than $15-billion had been injected in the past five years to launch 52 C-band-focused satellites and another $10-billion was allocated in 2015 for the development and launch of another 35 satellites.

“The request is unreasonable,” said Hartshorn, pointing out that the IMT industry’s growth could be achieved without the C-band.

Daniel assured that there were many more suitable bands and alternative solutions for the IMT industry’s requirements – one of which was the digital dividend that would be released from the digital terrestrial television migration that was under way.

Mobile operators could also more efficiently use their spectrum by subdividing cells or build more radio sites; however, both would require significant investment.

Addressing delegates at the Sadiba conference, he said that the IMT industry was not using all available spectrum and it had “grossly overestimated” its bandwidth requirements to meet demand.

The paper claimed that less than 50% of the available mobile spectrum was licensed and “even less” was being used.

“The satellite industry does not dispute the fact that IMT is growing and needs spectrum, but we do dispute the fact that they need new spectrum and we question how much spectrum they really need,” Hartshorn said.

“The allocation of a portion of the C-band for IMT is not justified and is dangerous,” he concluded.