WASHINGTON�The NAB has now issued a statement on the WRC-15 results (coveredherein Digital Radio Update).�
“NAB was pleased by the global unity demonstrated at WRC-15 for the importance of a vibrant system of over-the-air broadcasting. Of the 162 nations attending the conference, more than 140 countries rejected the wireless broadband industry�s anti-broadcasting UHF spectrum grab and recognized that frequency band is harmonized to provide television services on a worldwide scale. This broad consensus should send a strong message that while wireless broadband services are important for those who can afford the fees, that service should not come at the expense of a ubiquitous over-the air TV service that is available to all for free.”
The danger to radio broadcasting in ITU region 1 was that band lll (commonly used for digital radio) could have been widely re-allocated for digital Television, at the expense of radio broadcasting. We�ve dodged that bullet, at least until 2023. (The topic won�t be up for discussion at the next WRC in 2019). �
