ITU (International Telecommunication Union)

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialised UN agency responsible for coordinating the shared global use of radio spectrum and assigning geostationary orbital slots. Every satellite must have ITU-coordinated frequency assignments to avoid harmful interference with other systems. GEO orbital slots — specific longitude positions — are finite and regulated by the ITU, making them geopolitically valuable. The Radio Regulations, updated at World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC), are the binding international framework. The ITU also coordinates mega-constellation frequency sharing to prevent interference between systems like Starlink and OneWeb.