Radio astronomy at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012

World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs) revise the Radio Regulations (RR), periodically. WRCs may have substantial impact on radio astronomy in various ways. The next one, to be held in January, 2012, has a number of items on its agenda that may be of interest to the radio astronomy community. The main issue for radio astronomy is the revision of footnote 5.565 that deals with spectrum uses above 275 GHz by the passive services. A number of other agenda items that deal with allocations of certain bands to other services are also of interest, as the allocations that are pursued may increase the instances of harmful interference in radio astronomy bands, unless mitigated by regulatory measures. Although spectrum use has changed tremendously in the more than four decades that radio astronomers do participate in the process, the continued presence of radio astronomers at these conferences is necessary, to ensure continued access of astronomers to at least portions of the radio spectrum.