Steve Lang: The Path to Victory in Shanghai at the World Radiocommunication Conference

When China gets a tech win, Washington notices.  And it definitely got one this summer in Geneva.  That’s when the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) decided that the next World Radiocommuniction Conference in 2027 (WRC-27) will take place in Shanghai.  This will give China a distinct home-field advantage for a critical decision-making forum, but the contest is far from over.  

The stakes are high when it comes to the WRC.  The conference takes place every four years to update the international Radio Regulations, a treaty that allocates and harmonizes radiofrequency spectrum to enable new services, prevent interference, and promote interoperability.  It has allowed industries ranging from mobile phones to Wi-Fi to achieve global economies of scale driving billions in investment.  It ensures militaries that their radar and other systems can operate without interference.  And increasingly the WRC is critical to unlocking the space economy, from new low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations to a human presence on the Moon.  

Like other multilateral bodies, the ITU and WRC are flawed.  The bureaucracy has grown bloated over the years; politics occasionally bleeds into technical conversations; and adversaries, like Iran and Cuba, have equal seats at the table.  But there is no other mechanism that can realistically open global markets to wireless services on the ground and in space.  Private companies can join the ITU as sector members and participate in the WRC, an unusual feature for a UN organization that has worked to the advantage of the United States.  

With so much at stake, the ITU’s decision to accept China’s offer to host the conference is a blow. A Chinese official will now be the presumptive chair of the conference, and information security will be a problem. But these potential obstacles should drive the United States to recommit to winning at the WRC.  China’s offer to host in the first place was motivated by the successful U.S effort in 2022 to replace the Chinese Secretary General of the ITU with Doreen Bogdan Martin, a uniquely qualified American citizen and former Department of Commerce official.  Offering to host the WRC was an attempt by China reassert influence.  

The challenges are not insurmountable.  With advanced preparation and planning, effective leadership, and a high-level commitment to success, the United States can achieve all of its objectives.

These are the critical steps the U.S. government must take to win:

1. Keep the Pressure on China: China won the vote to host by a narrow margin with a majority of only 25 of the 48 member states able to vote, and its legitimacy as host is already in question.  We must continue to hold China accountable and urge likeminded partners to do the same.  We can do this directly with Chinese leadership while urging the ITU to do the same in negotiations of the host-country agreement with Beijing. 
2. Accelerate U.S. Preparations: The WRC process takes all four years between conferences.  The U.S. delegation in the past has too often been disadvantaged by delays in developing U.S. positions through our complicated internal negotiations.  Senior leadership of U.S. agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission and the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and State, needs to commit to finalizing U.S. positions as a quickly as possible.  
3. Build Coalitions Early: We cannot win this contest without friends and allies who share our priorities and are committed to standing up to opposition.  The earlier we start building coalitions through persistent, high-level diplomatic engagement, the more successful we’ll be.  We must think creatively as well and explore new ideas for engagement like a U.S.-hosted spectrum summit to build support among allies and countries on the fence.
4. Identify Leadership Now: The head of the U.S. WRC delegation is usually a special government employee hired for the sole purpose of managing our preparations, leading engagement, and overseeing negotiations at the conference.  We need to put that leadership in place as quickly as possible to speed the conclusion of our internal processes and begin to build international support.

Some question the value of the ITU and have even suggested pulling away after China secured support for its offer to host.  That would be a mistake.  We have achieved much in reshaping the institution through Bogdan Martin’s leadership and our own engagement to make it fit for purpose and a venue where the United States can win.  Now is the time to double down.  With a high-level commitment to action now, the United States can emerge from WRC-27 stronger and more competitive in the global tech race.

Ambassador Steve Lang (ret.) is a veteran diplomat and international tech policy leader who previously served as U.S. Coordinator of International Communications and Information Policy. He is now a senior advisor at Crest Hill Advisors.  This Expert Opinion is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

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