International DBS regulations brought down to earth

The present discussion has the objective to make the international regulatory scheme affecting broadcasting-satellite spectrum management more easily understandable by engineers whose expertise goes more to satellite technology than to aspects of international rules and procedures. It is pointed out that the Regional Administrative Radio Conference held at Geneva in 1983 (RARC '83) created two 'plans' with pertinent technical standards and regulatory provisions, including one for satellite-to-earth, or downlink, transmissions, and the other for the earth-to-satellite, or feeder-link, transmissions. Their purpose is to enable Region 2 (Western Hemisphere) countries to meet their needs for broadcasting satellite services with imperceptible interference to each other's services. Attention is given to notification and recording of assignments in the Master Register, a modification of the plans, a simplified procedure for 'interim systems', other provisions, the feeder-link plan, and the focal point.