Conclusion of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019

The United States participated in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt from October 28 to November 22.  Ambassador Grace Koh, the U.S. Head of Delegation, led representatives from multiple U.S. government agencies and the private sector who participated in the Conference.

Agreements reached at WRC-19 will help pave the way for the global harmonization of 5G, and the development of an ecosystem of applications and services that will fuel the growth of the digital economy for years to come.  WRC-19 successfully identified over 15 GHz of globally harmonized millimeter wave spectrum for 5G, plus additional spectrum for 5G on a regional or country basis.

These decisions reinforce U.S. leadership in 5G, with successful outcomes in the 26 GHz, 40 GHz, and 47 GHz bands all aligning with actions already taken by the United States in its own aggressive 5G spectrum rollout.  With this groundwork set, the world can now benefit from global roaming and economies of scale while permitting flexibility in 5G deployment.

WRC-19 also advanced a forward-looking framework for 5G and satellite services, including critical passive weather systems, to coexist without limiting the opportunities and benefits of 5G and incumbent services.  The Conference reached consensus on additional agenda items covering a range of new technologies and services, from enabling our commercial space sector through growth of next generation non-geosynchronous orbit satellite constellations to innovative infrastructure platforms that keep us connected in the air and at sea.

Given how critical spectrum-enabled technologies and services are to our economy, we welcome the consensus reached in discussions on spectrum allocation and emerging technologies.  At WRC-19, the United States reinforced American leadership in 5G and innovation in spectrum-based technologies.