Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) Satellie Special Supplement 2015 | Page 8

SATELLITE S 2 P 0 E 1 C 5 I A L
Combating satellite interference
tops IRG agenda for this year
A
t last year’s ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan,
South Korea, the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) announced new steps to address harm-
ful interference with satellite transmissions, a move ITU
member states were quick to endorse.
The APB Satellite Special speaks with Martin
Coleman, executive director of the Satellite Interference
Reduction Group (IRG), on the significance of the ITU
declaration.
Can you comment on the ITU’s call to
address harmful inter ference with sat­
ellite trans missions, and what more can
stakeholders do to combat satellite inter­
ference this year?
Martin Coleman: IRG is extremely pleased
with ITU’s call to address harmful interfer-
ence. The ITU has concentrated its efforts
on the worst-case [scenario]; in other
words, the deliberate form of interfer-
ence and its effect on targeted satellite
transmissions.
During the past three years, broadcast-
ers, satellite operators and organisations
such as IRG took up this special case,
The Asia-Pacific resulting in a tremendous amount of co-
ordinated effort — especially on the part of
region is growing the international broadcaster community
fast and that in — with extremely positive reactions. Hav-
the ITU support this effort is a welcome
turn is creating the ing
step forward and will significantly improve
right environment its impact. However, there is more to be
for this important done on all interference fronts.
Firstly, I would like to see more regu-
region to focus early latory agencies, both national and inter-
on the subject of national, adopt similar positions to put
pressure on those causing interference.
interference.
Perpetrators need to know that there will
— Martin Coleman, be consequences to their actions. We need
Executive Direc