Telecom
ITU’s ‘Handbook for Monitoring Stations’ Turns 50: A brief history
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is celebrating the 150th anniversary which coincided with another important milestone in ITU’s history: 50 years ago, the XIth Plenary Assembly of the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR, the predecessor of part of today’s ITU-R Radiocommunication Sector) (Oslo, 1966) adopted a Resolution on developing the first ITU handbook which was to bear the title “Handbook for Monitoring Stations”.
ITU in its blog post shared the milestone as marked the beginning of work in ITU to provide administrations with practical guidelines which, unlike CCIR Recommendations and reports on important but disparate aspects of a given radiocommunications topic, would include systematic and detailed information on specific areas of radiocommunications.
Responsibility for development of the handbook lay with the CCIR Study Group VIII (Monitoring), which, together with Study Group I (Transmitters) and Study Group II (Receivers) set about preparing the necessary material.
In order to expedite publication of finished chapters without waiting for all 19 mandated chapters (see Table below) to be completed, the CCIR Secretariat was instructed to issue the handbook in loose-leaf form!
The full version of more than 500 pages was finally completed in 1979.
Given the need to update the Handbook to keep pace with the development of new terrestrial and space radio communication systems and improvements in monitoring technology, it was decided that a new Chapter 20 should be added: “Monitoring of radio emissions from spacecraft at fixed monitoring stations”.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the task, the process of updating was very time-consuming for various reasons, the new edition was published only in 1988 as a standard format book of 436 pages.
Early 1990s: Fundamental changes spur major revisions
The publication of this edition coincided with fundamental changes in the field of spectrum management and radio communication systems development.
At the beginning of the 1990s, significant changes in regulation in a number of ITU Member States, privatization of radio communication enterprises, and advances in the development of digital radio communication systems based on novel modulation methods and solid-state technology, led to sustained and rapid growth in demand for radio frequencies and thus created a need for improved spectrum monitoring.
Monitoring technology underwent far‑reaching computerization and automation, so that a fundamental revision of the Handbook became urgently needed.
The next edition, which was now entitled “Handbook on Spectrum Monitoring”, appeared in 1995, following work by a special Group of Experts of Working Party 1C set up by Study Group 1.
The layout of this edition was significantly improved compared to its predecessor. General and organizational issues were set out in the first two chapters, “Purpose of spectrum monitoring” and “Monitoring stations”.
Measurement of all emission parameters, as well as direction finding and location, were dealt with in the third chapter, “Measurements”.
The fourth chapter, “Special monitoring systems and procedures”, was devoted to monitoring of specific radio systems, which for the first time included cellular and personal communication systems as well as microwave communication links.
The fifth chapter, “Technical procedures”, dealt with various auxiliary procedures and elements including maps, calculation of intermodulation components and harmonics, global positioning systems, and so on. Annex 1 contained planning guidance for radio monitoring system conception, and Annex 2 dealt with industry capabilities for spectrum management and monitoring.
An ITU ‘best seller’
The 1995 edition took the form of a standard format book of 442 pages, with a separate 16-page booklet containing advertising for the firms listed in Annex 2.
This was ITU’s first experiment with advertising in a handbook. Revenue from the advertisements made it possible to reduce the cost of the Handbook to CHF 50 per copy, and the 1995 edition was an ITU “best seller” for a number of years.
Subsequent editions in 2002 (585 pages), with a Supplement in 2008 (194 pages) and 2011 (659 pages), retained the basic structure of the 1995 edition, although the material content was considerably enhanced and supplemented to reflect the ongoing development of radio systems and of monitoring systems and equipment.
Around 3000 copies of the 1995, 2002 and 2011 editions have been sold as of 16 February 2016. The 2011 edition with other relevant information is available free of charge in electronic form from the following ITU site: http://www.itu.int/pub/R-HDB-23.
Since 1995, the Handbook has been published in all six ITU languages (English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and French).
The authors of this article were actively involved in drafting the text of the Handbook between 1988 and 2011.
Dr. Alexander Pavlyuk (Russian Federation), Dean of ITU-R’s Study Group 1 on Spectrum Management. He has worked in the ITU spectrum management field throughout the last third of ITU’s 150-year-old history!
Albert Nalbandian (Armenia), Chairman of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC) Working Group on preparation for the World Radiocommunication Conference-19/Radiocommunication Assembly-19. Since 1976, he has participated in ITU studies on radiocommunications.
MTN Nigeria, in collaboration with ONErpm and Ultima Studios, has announced Ayodeji Benson, popularly known as Ayo Benzi, as the winner of the maiden edition of the Next Afrobeats Star reality show.
L-R: Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria; Ayodeji Benson, Winner, Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1) and Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager, Brand and Communication, MTN Nigeria, at the grand finale of the Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1), held at the Ultima Studios, Lekki, Lagos on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
The grand finale, held on Sunday night at Ultima Studios in Lekki, Lagos, marked the climax of a nationwide talent search that began in September with over 15,000 aspiring musicians.
After weeks of auditions, mentorship, and rigorous training, five finalists – Ayo Benzi, Dave Cash, Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay – battled for the top prize in a high-energy showcase of performance and artistry.
At the end of the electrifying contest, Ayo Benzi emerged victorious, securing a ₦150 million music deal. Dave Cash was named first runner-up with ₦100 million, while Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay received ₦75 million, ₦50 million, and ₦25 million respectively.
Throughout the season, contestants were mentored by leading Afrobeats producers Sarz, Puffy Tee, P Prime, and Andre Vibez. Benzi, who was part of Puffy Tee’s team, credited the mentorship programme for sharpening his craft and stage presence.
Speaking at the event, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to youth empowerment and cultural expression.
“The Next Afrobeats Star platform is about creating real opportunities for young Nigerians and giving their talent the structure, visibility, and support it deserves.
“Afrobeats continues to place Nigeria on the global cultural map, and MTN is proud to be enabling the next generation of artists who will take this sound even further,” she said.
She added that the finale was not just a competition but a celebration of growth and readiness for the global stage.
In his acceptance speech, Ayo Benzi described the victory as a defining moment in his career.
“A big thank you to MTN. From the audition days, the treatment MTN has given us has been amazing. God bless the brand,” he said.
The finale also featured guest performances by Afrobeats stars Iyanya and Bella Shmurda, adding glamour to the night and reinforcing the show’s connection to the wider music ecosystem.
With the successful conclusion of the season, MTN Nigeria and its partners reaffirmed their role in championing youth ambition, supporting creative industries, and shaping the future of Nigerian music through platforms that turn potential into opportunity.
T2, formerly known as 9mobile, is under investigation by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Benue State for an undisclosed incident disrupting USSD, SMS, voice, and data services across nine local government areas.
T2
The affected areas include Ado, Agatu, Gwer East, Gwer West, Konshisha, Obi, Ohimini, Okpokwu, and Otukpo, as detailed in an advisory on the NCC Major Outages Portal, which tracks significant disruptions reported by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Neither T2 nor its public relations firm, Chain Reactions, has responded to inquiries on the outage’s cause or restoration efforts as of this report.
The NCC’s continued reference to the operator as 9mobile, months after its public rebranding to T2 in August 2025, has sparked questions about whether the name change was formally notified to the regulator.
This probe aligns with NCC mandates requiring operators to disclose major outages, their impacts, and timelines for fixes, with compensation obligatory for disruptions exceeding 24 hours under the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
Industry watchers note that such incidents, often linked to fibre cuts, power failures, or infrastructure faults, underscore ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s telecoms sector, particularly amid T2’s subscriber losses post-rebrand. NCC vows transparency via its portal to hold operators accountable and protect consumers.
Telecom
NCC Unveils Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap, 60 GHz License-Exempt Guidelines to Boost Broadband, Innovation
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled two pivotal regulatory draft documents aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s communications sector over the next five years and fast-tracking deployment of ultra-high-speed wireless technologies.
NCC
In a public notice dated December 19, 2025, and issued pursuant to its mandate under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, the Commission published the Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector (2025–2030) and Draft Guidelines for the Use of the 60 GHz License-Exempt Band for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems.
Both documents are accessible on the NCC website for stakeholder review, with the roadmap outlining strategic spectrum planning, allocation, and management to optimise utilisation, support emerging technologies like 5G and IoT, expand broadband access, and align with global best practices.
The Spectrum Roadmap emphasises four core pillars: bridging the digital divide through low-band spectrum and satellite services, attracting investments via flexible licensing models, enhancing service quality with mid-band optimisation, and fostering innovation in areas such as direct-to-device connectivity and secondary spectrum trading.
It sets ambitious targets including universal 4G coverage nationwide, 50 per cent 5G penetration in state capitals, and average broadband speeds of 100 Mbps by 2030, while addressing rising data demand through band refarming and efficient management.
Complementing this, the 60 GHz Guidelines establish a license-exempt framework for the 57–66 GHz band, enabling multi-gigabit speeds up to 10 Gbps for short-range applications like WiGig, fixed wireless access, enterprise connectivity, urban broadband, and backhaul solutions.
The rules mandate NCC type approval for equipment, site registration for outdoor use, and interference mitigation measures, while prohibiting wide-area networks to safeguard primary users.
In line with Section 58 of the NCA 2003, NCC invites comments from industry operators, equipment manufacturers, consumer groups, and the public, with submissions due by Friday, January 16, 2025, via email to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].
The notice, signed by Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs, stresses that stakeholder inputs will refine the frameworks to drive innovation, investment, competition, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem.
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