Imagine being in a large room of a few hundred people speaking at once. This could be a social gathering such as a wedding or some other event. One person in that room has been designated to give a speech. To get control, that person taps the side of a glass and the room falls silent. The person speaks and the message is delivered. By convention, this person has the authority to get people to pay attention. People comply as convention has dictated that the person at the top table at some point needs to speak and this can only be done if everyone else plays along. Buy what if there were no convention, how does one person get heard by all? 

In the world of telecommunications, we face the same challenge. Various frequencies across the radio spectrum are used all over the world for voice and data communications. Different frequencies in that spectrum can be regarded as rooms where if everyone tries to communicate at the same time, no information is passed.  

In this article, we will take a close look at how the radio spectrum is managed. Licensing is the key method to impose order over the sort of technologies we use. Licensing will vary from country to country and in some places, if rules are broken, severe penalties can be dished out by local authorities. Read on to find out how licensing works for radio, VSAT and general sat-coms and how to avoid being caught out.

If you are short of time and cannot read the full article now, scroll down to the final section and answer my challenge to you. You answer might lead you to take actions to avoid a large fine or members of your staff being sent to prison!

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The ITU has existed as a body for 150 years. It is the specialist UN agency which governs telecommunications whether its telephones, internet standards, radio communications or satellite communications.  Initially it was founded as an international conference to make the transmission of wired telegraph signals more efferent. From 1901 radio communications started to become popular and by 1906, the incompatibility between radio systems meant that some sort of standard would be needed as a result, the very first radiotelegraph convention was produced which is now known as the Radio Regulations we use today. The ITU joined the newly created United Nations in January 1949.

The radio frequency spectrum is a very precious and finite resources. It is imperative that the radio spectrum is managed properly otherwise all radio users will interfere with each other thus making the smooth flow of communications impossible.  Over the years, 130 nations have signed up to the ITU and as a result various regulations have been agreed which reserves specific frequencies for specific uses. At sea, ships use a combination of short range and long range radio frequencies so that ship to ship and ship to shore communications take place. Channel 16 (156.800Mhz) is known to all mariners around the world as the international frequency to send a distress call. Other allocated uses will include aviation, amateur radio etc.

The is also the regulator for data communications. They allocate orbit slots for international communications satellites such as VSAT and allocate what frequencies should be used by each satellite. As satellite signals are highly directional, frequencies are often reused but when this happens, the ITU ensures that satellites which use the same frequencies are sufficiently spaced apart so that they do not interfere with each other.

Many frequencies are do not have international classification and as some frequencies are short range allocation is delegated to government agencies.

In addition to allocating frequencies, the ITU is a standard setting organization. It specifies the format used to transmit data and voice and defines how much clear space must be left between each frequency so that interference is avoided. Over the years, as technology has improved, spacing has been reduced which has allowed more channels to be created. In the maritime VHF band, capacity has doubled since the 1950s.

National Government
In each country, the government will usually have an authority which regulates the use of the radio frequency spectrum. These authorities have such an important role to play that they exist in even the newest countries such as South Sudan. A full list of regulating authorities can be found on Wikipedia.  So what do these authorities do? How much power do they have?

The telecoms regulators have a great deal of power. Their expertise should never be underestimated as they will have access to technicians. In sparsely populated countries like Australia and many other countries in Africa, radio has been the main form of communications for many decades. Locally, the authorities will be responsible for the following;

• Allocation of frequencies to organisations.
• Equipment type approval.
• Licensing of media broadcasting (commercial radio and TV stations)
• Approval of unlicensed equipment (combination of equipment type approval, frequency allocation with transmission power limits).
• Investigation and enforcement.

Some countries are more sensitive than others to the use of radio and satellite communications. Infringement of regulations will result in a range of punishments such as fines, confiscation of equipment,  imprisonment, deportation or an order for an organization to cease all activity, close and leave the country.

Some countries have a light touch approach, but others will have very prescriptive regulations which must be complied with. Regulations will apply to anything which transmits or receives and can potentially cover VHF Radio, HF Radio, VSAT, portable satellite communications and in some cases, a permit is needed for SatNav (GPS)!

In many countries, NGOs ignore such rules and fail to register equipment. The nature of communications means that the technology can be detected if used which can result in sanctions if the equipment is not licensed.

To get legal can be complex. International NGOs may need to involve other government departments. Licenses might not be awarded by government agencies unless perhaps the following permissions have been obtained:

• Planning permission for aerials.
• Validation by the ministry of finance to confirm taxes have been paid on the equipment
• Proof that the organization applying has sufficiently qualified radio operators
• Permission granted by police, military and other security related authorities.
• Permission and support from any agency the NGO is working with.

The process is easier in some countries than others, but not the same in all countries.

How to be legal
The golden rule is to know the rules and do not break them. Here are a few tips on how to stay legal (or get legal!)

• Know what communications equipment is legal in the country where you are working. In some places, only certain brands of satellite telephone may be used. Also beware of importing mass marketed PMR license free radios. These radios are normally sold in specific regions and comply with local laws. A PMR radio bought in Spain, can be used throughout Europe legally, but would be illegal in the USA, Asia, Middle East and Africa.
• Do your homework first. When applying for a radio license, you need to develop a country communications plan first. Have an awareness where all of your sites are located. For longer range radio communications such as Codan HF SSB, get expert advice from a radio trusted radio expert. You need to have an understanding of what frequencies are likely to work between sites before you apply for a license.
• Radio authorities will give you potentially complex forms asking for details about the radio, aerial and radio station location. Make sure accurate information is provided. Get advice from a radio expert if needed. If you do not understand any questions, don’t guess the answer. Always provide accurate and truthful information.

Radio licensing can be expensive as there will be multiple charges. As a bare minimum, organizations will be charged for each frequency they are allocated. In many countries, there might be a fee per every radio, VSAT or satellite phone licensed. Where this is the case, organizations will need to contact the regulator each time a new piece of equipment is commissioned.

The licensing process can take a long time. In some countries, licenses are required before any attempt is made to import a radio. It is really important that procurement teams validate that the radios are permitted in the country to begin with. SCI radio kits comply with most country standards, however be careful about which satellite phones are imported. Inmarsat products are illegal in Ethiopia, but Thuraya is permitted. There will be plenty of other examples.

Do not break the terms of any license. Licenses tend to be specific, and will become invalid if the equipment specification is changed. The easiest way organization break rules is by adding additional frequencies for which they are licensed. Organization have been caught out in Kenya and have been fined.

VSAT also needs licensing. If you have purchased VSAT from a local supplier, and they tell you that your site is licensed, ask for proof. The VSAT is only licensed if you have documentation to prove it.

The license is only valid for use by the organization it has been granted to. If the legal entity of the site changes for any reason (e.g. Equipment and site transferred to local partner), in most countries, the license becomes invalid and a new one in needed.

Special circumstances: In some countries, radios might be programmed by WFP, ETC or another UN agency. Generally they will have a blanket license in place to cover the humanitarian response community. It is essential check that any radios use are covered under such special arrangements.

The big challenge

Are your communications systems in country legal?

• Do you know where your license(s) kept?
• Is the license up to date?
• Does it cover all the radios owned in country?
• Does it cover  all the frequencies used?
• Have any changes been made to equipment since the license was granted?
• Has any equipment been relocated?  If so, was the license updated?

How to make the problem go away.
Action will be required to establish where organisations might be exposed. Once gaps have been identified, the next step is apply for licenses in all places where they may be needed. depending upon the size of your organisation this might end up being a massive task which requires outside help. Specialist businesses such as Hyde Associates exist to provide licensing assistance. They can project manage license applications and then continue to work with client organisations to actively manage licences so that the organisation remains legal all of the time.

Over the past 15 years, there has been a massive expansion in the availability of mobile networks in developing countries. Many NGOs have adopted mobile phones as a primary form of communication. The costs associated with running mobile are very small compared with running a satellite telephones as mobile handsets and airtime are a fraction of the costs of using satellite. Due to the low price of GSM technology, more people in NGO teams are being issued with mobile phones by their organisations. This has really improved the efficiency of an operation as GSM has made it very easy to reach individuals in a team.  

Before GSM really took off, radio and satellite communications were the only means to communicate. For those of you who go back further than the 1990’s the only option back then was radio. Satellite and radio still has a major role to play as many NGOs operate in the most challenging places in the world where security may be poor and infrastructure weak. This week, it was brought to my attention that one mobile network in South Sudan failed for a number of weeks. This meant that people operating in the area affected had to revert to radio and satellite. Most organisations will have safety and security policies in place which defines the need for back up communications. Across the globe many NGOS and UN organisations operate very large sat-phone fleets.  Save the Children operates more than 600 satellite telephones. In this article, we will explore the “good” and the “not so good” about satellite communications.

 The Good: An essential safety net

 Satellite phones do not relay on local infrastructure which makes them a great back up for emergencies or as a means for routine communication in remote places where there are gaps in coverage. Very recently the higher end models from Thuraya, Iridium and Inmarsat have included a distress button so that help can be summoned in an emergency. Iridium has partnered with GEOS (https://www.geosalliance.net/geosalert/monitor_iridiumExtreme.aspx) where all active Iridium phones (Iridium Extreme and Iridium Go) can be registered for the basic monitoring service at no extra cost. Monitoring is activated by filling in an online form with details about two emergency contacts. Once set up, if the emergency button is pressed, the Iridium will send location details to the GEOS monitoring centre where duty staff will attempt to contact the people listed on its system.

For an additional fee, GEOS can be more proactive and instigate a call on behalf of the satellite phone owner to capable rescue authorities. In places where search and rescue is not provided by the government, GEOS have arrangements in place for calling in private airplanes and helicopters for search and rescue or medivac. Whilst the monthly subscription is very low, organisations should be prepared to be hit with a hefty bill should private SAR resources are mobilised. Emergency buttons on most sat phones have a cover which means that accidental alerts should not occur. If subscribing organisations do sign up to GEOS, end users should be thoroughly briefed.  

 Thuraya does not have an agreement with any external organisation, however its SOS button can be set up to call or send a message to any pre-defined contact. Inmarsat has Search and Rescue in its DNA. Inmarsat was founded initially as an NGO to provide direct voice communications and distress alerting capability for ships at sea which still exists to this very day. On land, Inmarsat’s new IsatPhone 2 includes a button where distress messages can be sent to pre-set numbers.

Whilst both Inmarsat and Thuraya do not have any formal agreement with a monitoring centre, there are organisations such as Sicuro of Dubai who can offer such services. Organisations can also make their own arrangements by setting up an emergency phone manned by a security officer 24/7 to receive calls for help.

Older sat phones will not have that emergency button, however an emergency contact number can be added to the speed dial list.

The Ugly: Satellite telephone SIM card frustration 

Satellite phones are a great resource, especially in times of emergency. However managing a fleet of over 600 devices for an NGO such as Save the Children comes with it challenges. The majority of funding comes from institutional donors and quite rightly, NGOs are directed to go to the market on a regular basis to seek out the best deal. The satellite networks do not deal direct with subscribing organisations, instead specialists organisations such as Castell Satcom Radio exists to resell services on behalf of all networks. In the NGO community we are fortunate to be served by some great resellers, but in my opinion the market is completely broken as it is not easy to migrate between providers.  

Over the years, I have launched a tender for satellite services on at least four occasions for NGOs. The tendering process is meant to get the best deal on the table for NGOs. Each time a tender is launched, various resellers will make a big effort to bid for business.  The big challenge begins if an organisation receives a better deal and wants to switch to a new provider. For Save the Children, that means 600 SIM cards would need to be sent to hundreds of destinations. People need to physically swap each SIM card, from HQ level, trying to get everyone is more of a challenge than you might think. A recent exercise to swap 150 SIM cards was launched 7 months ago following the migration of Merlin into SCI. The task is still ongoing but will soon be complete.

I have migrated SIM cards on at least three occasions in the past, and it was painful on each occasion. In a few years time when we go out to the market again, the idea of having to change 600+ SIM cards does not fill me with joy.

In a bidding contest, we ask the market to compete which they do well. Across all of the bids, there is not a massive difference in pricing. The cost of the effort to swap 600 SIM cards will far outweigh the savings made due to the cost in time to change SIM cards. So the market is really broken and all of the networks need to step in and fix it. The current arrangement is neither good for the NGOs or the resellers. The NGOs cannot drive down costs in airtime by switching providers due to the effort required. The resellers have very little prospect of winning new business from the completion, so nobody is winning here. With each reseller being within a gnats breath of each other with airtime pricing, the only incentive I would have to move to a new provider is if I was receiving very bad service from my current provider. My advice for any organisation who might be setting up satellite communications for the very first time is to ensure you get the right provider from the start. This way, pain will be avoided in the future.

The other big frustration is that each time we change a SIM card, the phone number changes as well.   

Whilst the technology is brilliant, the account management side of the operation needs to improve and it’s the big networks like Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraya which needs to fix things. We need each network to simply set up a system where organisations can migrate from one provider to another without the need to swap SIM cards and change phone numbers. Lessons can be learnt from the cellular telecoms industry as in some countries there are systems in place for people to retain the same number if the move from one provider to the next. The system could be as simple as the old provider giving the client an authorisation code to migrate the SIM and phone number to the new provider. The activity stays on the same network so should be achievable. What I am not asking for is the ability to swap numbers between different networks as this is certainly not needed and technically unfeasible.  

Conclusion
The satellite communications get full marks from me for recent service and technology innovation, but I am now calling on the networks to provide a reliable account migration system so that we can turn the world of portable satellite communications into a truly competitive market place.