Traficom safeguards space activities by preventing radio interference – AI helps identify interference risks

Finland is an active player in the space sector and is strongly committed to developing and making use of the opportunities offered by space. Agility and open-mindedness are key themes in Finland's space strategy and also central to the space-related activities of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. Traficom promotes favourable conditions for Finnish space activities and develops new ways to manage the radio frequencies used in space operations.

"Our role is to create the conditions for new innovations and the sustainable use of space. By improving our ways of working, we can provide better services to space sector operators and respond to the challenges of a changing operating environment and a growing industry," emphasises Suvi Juurakko-Lehikoinen, Head of Department at Traficom.

Traficom enables the use of radio frequencies for satellites and prevents interference

Traficom is responsible for managing spectrum use in Finland. This responsibility also covers frequencies used in space activities and their international coordination.

"When a Finnish operator is planning to launch a satellite, for example, we handle the necessary radio licensing and frequency coordination procedures. We also monitor whether satellites or other space objects from other countries pose a risk of harmful interference to the use of radio frequencies in Finland. This applies to radio communications both in space and on the ground," explains Petri Peutere, head of the unit responsible for radio licences for satellites.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) provides the framework for coordinating the use of radio frequencies worldwide. As space activities always have effects beyond national borders, decisions made elsewhere in the world and satellites launched into space can also affect the use of radio frequencies in Finland.

New methods help identify radio interference risks

As space activities develop, radio spectrum management also requires new solutions because the amount of frequency-related data that needs to be processed is constantly increasing. Traficom is developing methods to gain a more comprehensive picture of how existing and planned satellite systems use radio frequencies and what effects they could have in Finland. Artificial intelligence (AI) can make it easier to process large volumes of data and help experts identify cases that require closer assessment.

"We are improving our ways of working and introducing new methods to gain a better overall picture of how radio frequencies are used in space. The earlier we identify potential interference risks, the better we can contribute to resolving them through international cooperation. At the same time, we are creating opportunities for new satellite services and safeguarding the operation of existing radio systems," Juurakko-Lehikoinen summarises.

Exploring the potential of AI at a hackathon

Traficom is modernising its ways of working by making use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. Traficom took part in the international Since AI Hackathon held in Turku on 6–8 November 2026. The agency challenged participants to develop AI-based methods for processing and analysing information published by the ITU on satellite systems and their use of radio frequencies to identify interference risks.

"Our aim was to find AI solutions that would allow us to make more efficient and comprehensive use of international frequency data. This would enable us to devote more attention to assessing potential impacts, coordinating frequencies internationally and helping our satellite customers move their projects forward," Peutere explains.

A total of 16 teams took part in Traficom's challenge. Selecting the three best applications, built from scratch over the weekend, proved extremely difficult. We chose SpectrumDesk as the winner because of its technical performance and the practical ways it could support experts in their work. Second and third place went to two applications that happened to share the same name, IFIC Watch. Both offered clear added value in addressing the challenge. We were impressed by the functionality, quality and suitability of all the submitted applications, especially considering that they had been developed in such a short time by teams with no previous experience in the field.

The aim of the Since AI Hackathon was to develop ideas for AI solutions to real-world challenges faced by companies and organisations. The event attracted more than 1,000 participants from around the world.

Traficom leads a network on the effective use of AI in public administration, which aims to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across the public administration. "Extensive cooperation through networks and new ways of finding solutions, such as hackathons, generate ideas for improving public sector operations and services," says Ville Räisänen, Chief Specialist at Traficom.