Ofcom calls for phased reform of GSO and NGSO spectrum sharing rules ahead of WRC-27

Ofcom, the UK’s regulator of communication services, set out proposals on 12 October 2026 to modernise the international rules governing spectrum sharing between geostationary (GSO) and non-geostationary (NGSO) satellites in the Ku and Ka bands. It proposes a two-stage approach: targeted changes at or before the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 (WRC-27), followed by a more fundamental review at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2031 (WRC-31). Ofcom is inviting stakeholders to discuss its views and submit further evidence. The proposals are particularly relevant to GSO and NGSO operators, telecoms providers integrating satellite capacity into their networks, as well as businesses and public bodies that rely on satellite services for broadband, broadcasting, aviation and maritime connectivity.

1. Why reform is being proposed now

The framework relating to equivalent power flux density (EPFD) is more than 25 years old. Article 22 of the ITU Radio Regulations, which will be reviewed and revised as part of WRC-27, limits interference from NGSO satellites to GSO networks, removing the need for routine coordination between every GSO and NGSO system. Since the framework was implemented, the number of NGSO satellites has grown rapidly: according to Ofcom, there are now more than 15,000 active NGSO satellites in orbit, compared with around 2,000 in 2019. NGSO operators argue that the current limits are overly conservative and restrict spectrum use, capacity, efficiency and competition. GSO operators generally wish to keep existing protections (although operators using both orbits may have interests on both sides).

Ofcom’s intervention is also driven by the risk of fragmentation. WRC-23 commissioned further technical studies, and some national regulators are now considering their own exceptions to the global rules. Ofcom’s position is that progress through the ITU process should be encouraged to mitigate the risk of national fragmentation, which increases compliance costs and complexity for operators active across multiple jurisdictions. 

2. Key proposals 

• Aligning Ka band limits: Ofcom supports harmonising downlink limits in the lower and upper parts of the Ka band, applying the least restrictive limits already used in each. It sees no lasting technical justification for the difference between the limits.
• More realistic compliance testing: Ofcom supports updating the ITU’s method for checking compliance so that it reflects how modern satellite systems actually operate, rather than relying on unnecessarily pessimistic, worst-case assumptions.
• Managing combined interference: Ofcom wants a better mechanism for dealing with the combined interference from multiple NGSO systems, including the ability to act where breaches could cause harmful interference.
• Protection for GSO networks: Ofcom expects the near-term changes to be achievable without a material impact on GSO protection. This remains under assessment. GSO networks provide important services, including broadcasting, military links and resilience in networks that combine different orbits. Ofcom recognises the need to balance an appropriate level of GSO protection against the efficient use of spectrum.
• Guiding principles for longer-term reform: Ofcom supports a wider WRC-31 review. It suggests that the framework should be proportionate, measurable and enforceable, innovation-enabling, predictable, updatable and internationally consistent. It also suggests that changes could be phased in over time to allow operators to plan and adjust.
• Evidence base: Ofcom is carrying out its own measurement and modelling work on GSO sensitivity to interference and the variables that constrain NGSOs. It expects to feed the results into international discussions in the coming months.

3. Implications for operators

Ofcom’s opening position signals the approach that the UK is likely to take in European and international negotiations. The proposal does not change the applicable EPFD limits or UK licence conditions. Ofcom’s intervention is, however, relevant because it recognises the risks of regulatory fragmentation and the benefits of supporting global rules to ensure more efficient use of spectrum.

The detail is still open and operators’ engagement is welcomed by Ofcom. Evidence on capacity constraints or how proposed changes could potentially affect GSO services may help shape the UK’s position ahead of WRC-27 and the scope of the wider review proposed for WRC-31.

Operators should review how current interference limits affect existing and planned networks, gather technical evidence that supports or challenges Ofcom’s proposals, and engage with Ofcom in relation to the proposals.

4. Timing and next steps in responding to Ofcom’s proposal 

Ofcom’s proposal invites discussion and evidence as its thinking develops. For this reason, it has not set a formal consultation deadline for stakeholder responses. Interested stakeholders can contact Ofcom’s EPFD project team at [email protected].

That said, given Ofcom is seeking targeted updates at or prior to WRC-27, stakeholders may wish to reach out to the EPFD project team sooner rather than later. 

Relatedly, Ofcom is currently consulting more broadly on the UK’s provisional views and positions for WRC-27. This separate consultation closes on 24 November 2026.