The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) participates in the 4th meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Group in charge of preparing for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23). The meeting is held in the headquarters of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from January 23-25, 2023.
During the meeting, the Group discusses several important issues related to radiocommunication, with the aim of harmonizing stances and developing common views on the key issues before the official participation in the WRC-23, which will be held under the umbrella of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 20 - December 15, 2023. The meeting includes a review of the results of the 29th meeting of the permanent Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG) and a review of the results of the 2nd regional preparation meeting for the WRC-23. The agenda also includes holding meetings of the working groups under the Group to discuss the WRC-23 agenda items in addition to discussing reports issued by the working groups.
The WRC is one of the most important conferences on the ITU calendar and CRA is keen to attend it to continue playing a major role in shaping international discussions and decision-making related to spectrum issues to safeguard the national interests of Qatar. The WRC is held every three to four years to review, and, if necessary, revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite orbits, as well as to address any issues concerning radiocommunication at the global level. The State of Qatar is among the ITU Member States that have signed this treaty, which obliges the signatory states to comply with the treaty provisions in accordance with the special Radio Regulations.
All the ITU Member States rely on WRC outputs to develop their National Frequency Plans in their respective countries for the coming three to four years till the next Conference. Therefore, after the WRC, CRA publishes the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP), which is aligned with the outcomes of the WRC and considers the projects’ plans in the sectors that are critical to Qatar’s economy, as it covers all Qatar’s requirements of radio spectrum usage in different fields, such as the Information and Communications Technology (ICT), aviation, security, and energy. The NFAP is a comprehensive frequency allocation document that provides a transparent, clear, and non-discriminatory approach to the management of the radio spectrum; also, it is a guide for individuals, government, and private entities on how the frequency bands are allocated in the State of Qatar.