 of frequency allocations. The best prospects are kind would seem to be justifiable. In particular, the decision to use as follows: a microwave link between fixed points, instead of a cable connec- tion, will often be influenced by the fact that cabling may be costly. 1. Up links; 14.0 to 14.5GHz (Region 2); 14.0 to 14.25GHz If there is plenty of spectrum, the use of radio is a welcome benefit (Regions 1 and 3); 29.5 to 30.0GHz (all Regions). to the user. Where spectrum is in great demand, however, a case 2. Down links: 12.1 to 12.2GHz (Region 2); 12.5 to 12.75GHz could be made for adding a leasing charge to the licence fee to (Region 1); 19.7 to 20.2GHz (all Regions). encourage frugal use of bandwidth and to ensure that cables are used where economically feasible, leaving radio for the user for whom cable is a particularly costly option. Even these narrow bands are allocated to terrestrial services in very large numbers of countries by footnotes to the international table. However, one highly significant footnote (ITU, 1990. para 837) to the table reduces the terrestrial allocations in the band 26.7 References 11.7GHz to 12.1GHz to secondary status in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.A., effectively extending to 11.7GHz to 12.2GHz in those CCIR, (1990) The Recommendations and Reports of the CCIR, ITU, countries the band where earth station assignments do not have to Geneva. be co-ordinated. Other countries. where footnotes to the interna- HMSO, (1985) United Kingdom Table of Radio Frequency Alloca- tional table provide a terrestrial allocation in the bands listed above, tions. may decide not to activate those allocations nationally if substantial use of VSAT networks is foreseen. ITU, (1967) Appendix 26, Radio Regulations. The International Telecommunications Union, Geneva. 26.6.5 Market forces in spectrum management ITU, (1983) Appendix 27, Radio Regulations. The International Telecommunications Union, Geneva. ITU (1990) Radio Regulations, The International Telecommunica- So far it has been assumed that the criterion