Access to frequencies is a major concern for all satellite systems. Even if the Ka-band is currently lightly used by Satellite Systems, the Regulatory rules which will govern its access to planned new Satellite Communication Systems have started to be changed during the last World Radiocommunication Conferences. This new regulatory environment, which should be "nalised at the next World Radiocommunication Conference, will be a key element in the future of the Ka-Band and of the new Satellite Communication Systems which intend to operate in that Band.
The regulatory status of the Ka-Band has dramatically changed at the WRC-97 and new, important changes may happen at the next World Radiocommunication Conference.
This paper presents the regulatory status before and after WRC-97.
The presentation of the available regulatory tools before WRC-97 (Article S22.2 and Resolution 46) is made in order to demonstrate their inadequacy to allow the emergence of new techniques to improve the e$cient use of the spectrum.
Detailed description of the relevant new ITU-R resolutions which deal with the sharing between NGSO-FSS and GSO-FSS or other services, explains which opportunities are o!ered to the new NGSO-FSS systems which intend to operate in this band and which constraints they will have to cope with.
A detailed presentation, sub-band by sub-band, of the applicable resolutions and their meaning allows us to clarify the intricate and various regulatory tools governing the use of the Ka-Band.
Another order of complexity of the regulatory environment is expressed through the comparison of the international status, as de"ned in the Radio regulation, with the frequency allocation Plan set up by the Federal Communication Commission for the USA.
The paper ends with an overview of the main upcoming issues for the Ka-Band at the next World Radiocommunication Conference.