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On the 31 January 2011, Ms Odette Wagener, director of the Regulatory Authority of Luxembourg, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Satellite Monitoring within CEPT. With this signature, Luxembourg is the seventh SAT MoU signatory country.
The increasing usage of geostationary as well as non geostationary satellites will result in a more crowded frequency spectrum. This has a significant economic impact. In order to guarantee reliable satellite services and interference free operation, Administrations will take the responsibility for efficient frequency management.
Satellite spectrum monitoring is required to ensure efficient frequency management. For this purpose, a fully equipped monitoring earth station is available in Leeheim Space Radio Monitoring Station (Germany). It comprises 4 major antennas covering the frequency range 130 MHz – 26.5 GHz. The station is capable of monitoring geostationary as well as non geostationary satellites and also of localizing satellite interferers on earth.
Due to the highly specialized and costly nature of satellite monitoring facilities, an agreement on the access to these facilities and on the sharing of costs for national authorities using these facilities has been established. The agreement facilitates the following monitoring activities:
- Investigation of interference to and from satellites
- Detection of the illicit use of satellites
- Monitoring the usage of spectrum and orbital resources
Up to now the signatories of the agreement are (in alphabetical order): France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
In June 2002, the Memorandum of Understanding on Satellite Monitoring within CEPT was finalised. It entered into force on the first of July 2003. This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides the possibility for any Administration of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications (CEPT) to access and undertake satellite monitoring activities under the conditions of this MoU.
Due to the highly specialised and costly nature of satellite monitoring facilities, it is agreed that it is appropriate to establish a European common approach to make the satellite monitoring at Leeheim available to all CEPT administrations having signed this MoU. The aim of this Mou is to create a common understanding and to provide a cooperation among the signatories for attaining measurement results for their own purposes.
The original document had been signed by the participants in the MoU and the amendment was agreed upon and subsequently signed by all participants too. After that, the Sat Mon MoU Management Committee decided to amend the MoU in order to align the financial year as defined in the MoU with the calendar year. Although the official document will consist of two parts (the original MoU + amendement one), it has been decided to develop an integrated version for information purposes.
For more information on how to join the SAT MoU agreement, please contact the Chairman (see contact information below).
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