Imagine the TV broadcast of a major global sporting event, watched by millions of people, suddenly failing. Imagine a regional entertainment channel unexpectedly going off the air. This has already happened and could potentially become a regular and frustrating occurrence. The problem originates with government decisions on spectrum allocation – a subject for technical experts but one that has profound implications and that we all need to be aware of . . . While there are a number of different frequency bands allocated to the Fixed Satellite Service (‘FSS’), the C-Band frequency band is the one most commonly used for core communication services. This band is used for providing communication networks via VSAT networks; for linking remote communities; and, for the distribution of television channels across a region. The reason C-Band is used for these services is that it is the most suitable frequency band for satellite communications for critical services. This is especially the case in regions such as South East Asia where the alternative FSS frequency bands (such as the Ku-Band and the Ka-Band) are susceptible to interruption during heavy rain fall. So while C-Band can provide