Armed Forces: Communication
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed international changes to satellite interference rules on the effectiveness of UK military communications during conflict; and what steps his Department is taking to mitigate any associated risks.
Answered by Luke Pollard
The Department is aware of proposals being considered by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the wider space industry that have the potential to impact both military and civil satellite communications. Growth in demand for spectrum usage across space and terrestrial telecommunications sectors is driving demand for additional bandwidth.
These risks are recognised within Defence programmes, including SKYNET, and are linked to the broader dependency of the Government's wider reliance on assured access to the electromagnetic spectrum.
To mitigate these risks, the Department is actively engaged in international regulatory processes and works closely with Ofcom, other Government departments and Allies while also developing technical evidence to inform UK positions. These risks are formally managed within departmental risk frameworks, and mitigation measures are being development through cross-government and cross-programme collaboration.
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