11th Asia Pacific Spectrum Management Conference

With WRC–27 now less than 2 years away, we are more than halfway through the current WRC ‘cycle’, and preparations around the world are well underway. With the next APT preparatory meeting set to take place in July in Japan, this session will aim to look at the progress that is being made on key agenda items here in the APAC region ahead of that and the key issues that are due to be discussed. By assessing emerging trends, identifying potential challenges, and highlighting areas where stronger regional alignment may be required, the session will outline the critical next steps in the months ahead to support ongoing preparations and help ensure a successful and coordinated regional outcome at WRC-27.

• Which WRC–27 agenda items are of highest strategic importance for APAC administrations, and how aligned is the region on these priorities?
• How can the region balance competing demands between IMT expansion, satellite growth, WiFi needs, and other key spectrum users? How important will WRC–27 be in setting the future path?
• What trends and policy objectives are driving national spectrum priorities in countries across the region, and how are these being translated into the regional positions now taking shape?
• In which areas and agenda items is a consensus emerging across the region, and where are there potential coordination challenges? Where there is divergence of opinions, what strategies are being employed within the APT to build consensus and ensure that the APAC region enters WRC–27 with a unified and strong position?
• What is the path ahead, and what should be the key milestones and coordination activities over the next two years?

Across the Asia–Pacific region, governments are accelerating efforts to modernise their spectrum frameworks in response to rapidly rising connectivity demands, evolving technology cycles and the growing pressure to support both national digital strategies and emerging future networks. A key element of this is the continuing 5G journey, with those nations further ahead in development pushing ahead towards nationwide standalone deployments, while others continue to plan for initial rollout and navigate planning and ecosystem readiness challenges. For all countries, there is a need to balance national priorities with the demand for regional coordination and development. Against this backdrop, this session will open with a series of country case studies, outlining developments in national spectrum strategies and long-term roadmaps. Building on these insights, the discussion will then move on to explore the status of 5G deployment across APAC, looking at recent developments in this area and at how best to overcome the challenges that are still slowing rollout (including investment, shortfalls, infrastructure gaps and device affordability). A key focus will be on how greater regional harmonisation and cross-border coordination in band planning, licensing frameworks, and technical standards can help reduce deployment costs, encourage economies of scale, and accelerate the benefits of 5G for consumers and industry alike.

• What progress is being seen across the region when it comes to 5G rollout? What are the biggest remaining barriers to accelerating this process in terms of financial, regulatory, infrastructural, and ecosystem challenges? How can governments and industry work together to overcome these?
• How are operators balancing commercial priorities with national connectivity goals, particularly when addressing investment challenges, rural coverage obligations, and differing market maturity levels across the region?
• What progress is being seen in those more advanced markets looking to move towards 5G standalone deployment? How important is the continual rollout of these services, both to continue the evolution of 5G and also as the next step in the path towards 6G? 
• To what extent can greater regional harmonisation in areas such as band planning, licensing frameworks and technical standards help lower deployment costs and improve device affordability? What work in this area is being seen, and what practical steps could be taken to further advance this coordination?
• How can policymakers and operators ensure that strategies and roadmaps are sufficiently forward-looking to ensure that today’s decisions do not create bottlenecks for the networks of tomorrow and consider the needs of all emerging and evolving technologies?

More than 2 years on from WRC-23 and the debate around the future use of the 6425–7125 MHz and upper–6GHz band continues. Over the past 12 months, several significant developments have emerged in the APAC region, with influential countries such as India and Australia now having set out their intended approaches. Against this evolving backdrop, this session will take stock of these latest decisions and examine the regional and global trends that are beginning to form. With countries adopting a wide range of strategies, including licensing the spectrum for IMT, opening it for unlicensed use, or implementing hybrid models, the session will explore whether a fragmented regional approach is now unavoidable and what implications this may have. Finally, it will consider progress in ecosystem development, including equipment and device readiness across the region, and discuss the likely timeline for service rollout in this key spectrum band.

• What is now the current situation across the Asia Pacific region regarding the 6GHz band, and how have things evolved over the last 12 months? Which countries have taken a decision on their approach, and which are still considering (or reconsidering) options?
• What factors are shaping national decisions that are being taken?
• For those countries that have already decided on the use of the upper–6GHz band, how are plans progressing with making the spectrum available, and what is the roadmap planned to award it in the following years? What early ecosystems are starting to emerge? 
• Are there practical coexistence models, such as band-splitting, indoor-only use, or dynamic sharing, that could serve both IMT and Wi-Fi needs?
• To what extent does regional harmonisation remain achievable, or has fragmentation become inevitable? What impact would a fragmented approach have across the region? What strategies can be employed to manage cross-border interference issues where neighbouring countries are taking different approaches?
• What work is being done to assess the coexistence of mobile and WiFi systems with incumbent services in this band and adjacent bands, and how can interference be avoided?

Mid-band spectrum (1–6 GHz) has become the critical engine of 5G performance across the Asia Pacific region, supporting the balance between coverage, capacity, and device ecosystem maturity. While the 3.5 GHz range remains the anchor band for 5G deployments, other mid-band frequencies, including 2.3 GHz, 2.5/2.6 GHz, 3.3 GHz and 4.4–4.8 GHz, are increasingly central to national digital strategies. As APAC economies push to meet surging connectivity demands and prepare for future networks, regulators face growing pressure to strike the right balance between the needs of IMT, satellite, and unlicensed users, while also coordinating regionally to avoid fragmentation. This session will examine recent allocations and award outcomes across the region, assess how much mid-band spectrum is now in the hands of different operators and technologies, and explore how different user groups can co-exist in an increasingly crowded mid-band environment.

• Is APAC achieving the right balance across the mid-band range (1–6 GHz) to support IMT growth while still protecting essential satellite services and enabling unlicensed innovation?
• How much of the spectrum across the range has been allocated and is being used? Is there anything that can be done to increase the value and efficiency of these key frequencies?
• What are the latest developments in the 3.5 GHz band across APAC, and how are countries managing coexistence challenges with incumbents such as fixed links, FSS earth stations, or WLL systems?
• How has the allocation of other key bands such as 2.3 GHz, 2.5/2.6 GHz, 3.3–3.5 GHz, and 4.4–4.8 GHz progressed across the region? And what lessons can be drawn from recent award outcomes and spectrum pricing trends?
• As pressure increases to identify additional mid-band spectrum for 5G and future 6G networks, which bands have the strongest regional potential, and what technical or regulatory barriers must be addressed before they can be made available?
• How can APAC regulators better coordinate band plans, licensing frameworks, and technical conditions to reduce deployment costs, foster economies of scale, and enable interoperable mid-band ecosystems across the region?

With the space and satellite ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region evolving at unprecedented speed, regulators are being challenged to modernise spectrum and licensing frameworks that were designed for a very different era of orbital activity. Managing the coexistence of an ever-increasing number of diverse NGSO constellations with existing GSOs and other incumbents presents an increasingly complex challenge and calls into question whether existing licensing frameworks across the region remain fit for purpose. In addition, the increase in space traffic is seeing not only an industry emerge around in-orbit services to support space sustainability in areas such as debris removal and life-extension missions but also an industry that also requires access to spectrum but that currently does not have any dedicated allocations. This session will look at the evolving non-terrestrial environment and at how APAC administrations are looking to balance innovation, sustainability, and the protection of incumbents, both in space and on the ground. It will explore how regional and global frameworks can evolve to ensure efficient coexistence across a crowded orbital landscape and also safeguard terrestrial IMT networks and other user equipment from harmful interference.

• Are current APAC licensing and coordination frameworks for non-terrestrial networks still fit for purpose in an era of rapidly expanding NGSO constellations, or is a fundamental regulatory rethink now required?
• What technical and regulatory conditions are essential to ensure effective coexistence between GSO and NGSO systems in shared bands, particularly given the increasing diversity and density of NGSO architectures?
• How should APAC regulators approach the challenge of interference from mega constellations, and do existing EPFD limits and coordination procedures remain adequate?
• With in-orbit services (IOS) such as debris removal, inspection, and life extension becoming increasingly critical, should the ITU begin exploring dedicated spectrum allocations for IOS to support long-term space sustainability?
• What mechanisms, such as dynamic licensing models, enhanced monitoring, or regional coordination, could help balance innovation with protection of incumbent satellite services across a highly congested orbital environment?
• How can regulatory frameworks ensure robust protection for terrestrial IMT networks and customer-premises equipment (CPE), and should interference protection for large NGSO systems be assessed on an aggregated or non-aggregated basis?

Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity is rapidly gaining momentum across the Asia–Pacific region, driven by growing demand for resilient, ubiquitous coverage and new capabilities embedded directly into consumer smartphones. Countries across the region are taking active steps towards enabling D2D operations, with progress ranging from early commercial authorisations to structured national trials and the development of regulatory frameworks. At this early stage, most of the D2D trials and early regulatory frameworks in APAC rely on MSS spectrum (typically L-band, S-band or other satellite allocations) but alongside this, several countries are considering shared or hybrid use integrating IMT spectrum usage, especially as 3GPP continues work on satellite NR in Release 17/18. As regulators seek to balance innovation, spectrum efficiency, and protection of incumbent users, this session will look at the regional landscape that is beginning to form. It will examine the current state of D2D services in APAC, highlight the most advanced trials and implementation tracks, and explore the licensing and policy choices that will shape the future of direct connectivity in the region.

• What technology and policy trends are shaping the evolution of D2D services in the region and globally? 
• What is the current status of D2D and NTN development across APAC, and which countries are emerging as frontrunners in progressing toward commercial services?
• What trials, demonstrations or early deployments have already taken place in the region and what lessons can be drawn from these initiatives?
• What options are available to regulators when designing licensing frameworks for D2D services – traditional MSS assignments, hybrid MSS/IMT models, or shared or flexible-use approaches? What are the advantages and trade-offs of each?
• How can regulators balance the introduction of D2D services with the need to protect incumbent MSS, FSS, IMT and terrestrial mobile operations, and what coexistence tools or technical conditions are being considered?
• To what extent could regional coordination in APAC (including harmonisation of spectrum, standards and service frameworks) accelerate commercial roll-out and reduce device and infrastructure costs for D2D services?

As global momentum around 6G accelerates, the Asia–Pacific region is uniquely positioned to influence its direction. Many APAC economies were at the forefront of 5G deployment and are already taking early steps toward shaping 6G technologies and policy frameworks. At the same time, other countries across the region remain in the early stages of 5G rollout, facing infrastructure, investment, and capacity challenges that must be addressed in parallel with future-looking planning. This diversity of readiness creates complexity but also the opportunity to take the lead and to help define a 6G ecosystem that serves both highly advanced and developing markets, ensuring that global standards reflect a broad range of economic and technological realities. This session will explore how both early adopters and later movers in the APAC region are beginning to position themselves for the 6G era. It will examine which spectrum bands may be most viable in the regional context, how policy and regulatory frameworks may evolve, and what steps can be taken now to ensure that APAC maintains global influence while addressing diverse national priorities and development pathways.

• What visions for 6G are emerging both within the APAC region and also globally from organisations such as ITU, 3GPP and others? What are going to be the spectrum requirements in order to deliver on this vision?
• What will be the spectrum requirements for mass-market 6G deployment, and by when will these bands need to be made available?
• Are there candidate APAC or global “pioneer bands” emerging for the initial 6G rollout? How can the region position itself to support global harmonisation while managing diverse domestic circumstances?
• How are Asia–Pacific countries beginning to shape early 6G strategies? How can the region leverage its mix of cutting-edge 5G leaders and developing markets to shape 6G in a way that drives global innovation while ensuring the technology remains inclusive and practical for diverse economic conditions?
• How can spectrum requirements for next-generation mobile networks be balanced with the needs of other wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi, satellite, and emerging vertical applications?
• How can it be ensured that 6G addresses both innovation and affordability?

Across the APAC region, countries are continuing with the assignment of the 700MHz band. Major markets such as India, Japan, Australia, Thailand and, most recently, Vietnam have assigned spectrum and are integrating it into their 4G and 5G coverage layers, whilst others have plans to assign spectrum in the band very soon. Momentum around 600 MHz is also growing, but most APAC countries remain in the early stages of consultations or planning, with ecosystem readiness, DTT reorganisation and incumbent-user protection still shaping timelines for release. Against this background, this session will provide an update of the emerging ecosystem across the 600MHz, 700MHz and explore the changing dynamics of the UHF bands more broadly. With governments and regulators across the region working to balance the long-term requirements of terrestrial broadcasting, PMSE, and critical narrowband services alongside new IMT systems, it will discuss ecosystem readiness, coexistence frameworks, and how to ensure that both legacy and next-generation services can thrive now and into the future. 

• What is the current landscape across the 600 MHz, 700 MHz and wider sub-1 GHz UHF ranges in the region, and how is national policy thinking evolving in response to new pressures and opportunities?
• Which markets have recently assigned or released spectrum in these bands, and which countries are expected to move next in bringing new allocations to market?
• How important is it for APAC to pursue a coordinated, region-wide approach to UHF spectrum planning, and what collaborative work is already underway to support this?
• Three years after APT endorsed the 600 MHz band plan, what concrete steps have countries taken to release or assign this spectrum, and what timelines are emerging across the region? What are the future plans for this band, and to what extent could it play a role as we move towards 6G?
• How significant has the lack of device and equipment availability been in slowing progress in the assignment of the 600MHz and 700MHz bands? What improvements in ecosystem maturity are now being observed?
• What national regulatory approaches are emerging to ensure that the evolving needs of terrestrial broadcast, PMSE and narrowband services continue to be met while accommodating IMT expansion? What technological innovations are developing within these sectors, and how might they reshape relationships between incumbent services and IMT in the years ahead?
• How can regulators leverage new spectrum-management techniques, refarming tools and digital-efficiency technologies to ensure the entire sub-1 GHz range is used optimally and that the needs of both current and future users are balanced effectively?

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has emerged as one of the fastest-growing broadband solutions globally, driven by advances in 5G, evolving consumer and enterprise demand, and the need to close connectivity gaps in underserved areas. This is nowhere more true than in the APAC region, where recent forecasts suggest it will account for around half (51%) of all global FWA connections by 2030 (up from roughly 40% today). Yet alongside the significant opportunities FWA presents, a range of regulatory, technical, and commercial challenges must be addressed. This session will look at these and explore the role of FWA in expanding broadband coverage, the spectrum strategies required to support large-scale deployments, and how operators and regulators can collaborate to ensure FWA becomes a sustainable, high-quality component of national connectivity strategies.

• What spectrum bands are proving most effective for scalable FWA deployment in APAC, and how should future allocations evolve? Against the backdrop of the recent 1.4 GHz band auction in Indonesia, to what extent could this be an option to deliver FWA services in the region?
• How can regulators balance spectrum availability for mobile broadband and FWA, particularly in densely populated urban markets where demand is highest?
• What technical innovations, such as beamforming, network slicing, or enhanced customer premises equipment (CPE), are enabling higher-performance FWA services?
• In what ways can FWA be leveraged to close rural and remote broadband gaps, and what policy approaches best support affordable deployment in hard-to-reach areas?
• What commercial models are succeeding in APAC, and how are operators positioning FWA relative to fibre and mobile broadband offerings?
• How could FWA develop and grow in the future as we see an increasing rollout of 5G-Advanced and future 6G technologies? How should long-term spectrum planning account for this?