Ensuring Maritime Safety in a Changing Satellite Environment: IMSO at WRC-27 Preparations

From 3 to 5 December 2025, IMSO is participating in the 1st Inter-regional Information Session on preparation for the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27) in Geneva. IMSO is represented by Halil Keskin, Head of Operational Services, and Philip Lane, GMDSS Officer.

The session brings together regional groups, administrations and international organizations to discuss some of the most complex agenda items for WRC-27, using a round-table format that encourages open exchanges and a better shared understanding of the issues at stake.

A key topic for IMSO is Agenda Item 1.5, which considers possible regulatory measures to address unauthorized operations of user terminals connected to non-geostationary (NGSO) satellite constellations, and how administrations may manage the provision of such connectivity within their territories. For IMSO, it is important that any future measures adopted by the International Telecommunication Union membership respect national decision-making while avoiding unintended impacts on safety communications, in particular those provided under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

By participating in these early WRC-27 preparations, IMSO brings the perspective of global maritime safety into discussions on the future regulation of satellite networks.