On January 15, 2025, EARSC and ESPI organised the event: “The Earth Observation Challenge: Safeguarding Radio Frequency Spectrum for a Sustainable Future,” with support from AIRBUS. The event brought together stakeholders from the European Commission (DG DEFIS, DG Connect), the ITU, the European Space Agency, DLR, EUMETSAT, and representatives from the private sector, including Spire Global, IGN FI, and Leaf Space. The focus of the discussions was the critical issue of protecting radio frequency spectrum, which is essential for Earth Observation satellites. Participants highlighted the urgent threat posed by the potential sharing or reallocation of X-Band frequencies to accommodate emerging 6G mobile networks; these frequencies are in fact crucial to downlinking earth observation data. 

Our keynote speakers: Matteo Emanuelli from Airbus, and Simonetta Cheli from ESA, stressed that X-Band’s unique propagation properties and scalability underpin its role in enabling EO applications crucial for many key sectors such as agriculture, environmental management, and crisis response. Speakers emphasised how the potential loss of access to X-Band could jeopardize EO missions globally, undermining contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals and climate adaptation efforts.

Panelists outlined the challenges of spectrum reallocation, a process requiring years of study and negotiation, and highlighted the socio-economic risks of reduced data quality and availability. The need for harmonized global regulations, coordinated advocacy, and awareness campaigns to engage policymakers and end users was strongly emphasised.

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27) was one of the key topics discussed, with Agenda Item 1.7 flagged as a critical issue impacting 21 ESA EO missions. Industry representatives called for a balanced approach that secures spectrum for EO while accommodating emerging technologies, ensuring continued benefits for society and global competitiveness in the EO sector.

The event concluded with a call to action for immediate and collaborative efforts to protect access to spectrum, safeguard satellite infrastructure, and sustain advancements in Earth monitoring critical to addressing climate change and security challenges.

The event reflects EARSC’s dedication to its core pillars by advocating for the interests of the downstream Earth Observation industry, and ensuring the sustainability of EO as a critical enabler of socio-economic benefits. Contributions from EARSC members Spire and IGN FI highlighted the urgency of addressing spectrum challenges to secure the future of EO services. Spire emphasized the importance of advocating for harmonized regional and global spectrum policies to preserve the X-Band, which is essential for EO data transmission, while also anticipating future needs such as increased data and reduced latency.  Our member IGN FI discussed the operational urgency of EO data, particularly in applications like fire monitoring, where delays of even a few hours can render services ineffective and jeopardise their viability.

They both stressed that the growing volume of satellite data underscores the importance of maintaining current spectrum allocations to ensure the reactivity and effectiveness of EO applications, which directly support critical on-the-ground responses and client needs. These contributions from the private sector showcased the proactive engagement of EARSC members in safeguarding spectrum access to secure the socio-economic benefits of EO, tackle global challenges like climate change, and strengthen the competitiveness of the European EO industry.