International Telecommunication Union
Also called: ITU, ITU Radio Regulations, World Radiocommunication Conference, WRC · Topic: Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations agency for telecommunications. It sets global rules on how countries share radio spectrum, the invisible airwaves that phones, TV and satellites use. It also sets rules for satellite orbits. These rules are written in the ITU Radio Regulations, an international rulebook that member countries, including India, follow. They are updated at World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs), meetings where countries agree on new uses for spectrum bands. The ITU matters because without shared rules, signals from different countries and satellites would interfere with one another.
Example
In 2026, TRAI recommended allowing direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service, which lets an ordinary phone connect straight to a satellite. It used Article 4.4 of the ITU Radio Regulations, which lets a country allow a use on a non-interference, non-protection basis. This means the service must not disturb anyone else, and it gets no legal protection if others disturb it. This let India move ahead without waiting for global agreement at WRC-27.
Don't confuse with
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): a national statutory regulator under the TRAI Act 1997. It only makes recommendations to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The ITU makes rules for the whole world.
- National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP): India's own plan for which spectrum band is used for what. It follows the ITU framework but is issued by the Indian government.