Technical
Orbital Slot
An assigned longitudinal position in the geostationary arc, coordinated internationally to prevent interference between satellites.
An orbital slot is a designated longitude in the geostationary belt allocated to a satellite, together with associated frequency assignments. Because the GEO arc is a finite resource and satellites must be spaced to avoid radio interference, slots are coordinated through the ITU.
Securing and protecting a slot involves ITU filing procedures, coordination with other administrations, and bringing the assignment into use within prescribed timeframes. Loss of slot priority can be commercially significant.