DirecTV added to the list of analyses said to show a mobile allocation in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band will cause harmful interference. Even factoring in a variety of assumptions favoring a terrestrial mobile system, the data shows high-power terrestrial operations in the band will result in "significant and widespread harmful interference," DirecTV said in a docket 20-443 filing Monday that included a commissioned study done by satellite consultancy Savid.
OneWeb's study showing 5G incompatibility with non-geostationary orbit satellite operations in the 12 GHz band (see 2207120058) "is another in-house, non-independent effort to discredit the scientifically proven feasibility of coexistence in the 12 GHz band," the 12GHzfor5G Coalition emailed Tuesday. It said the FCC made it clear that any NGSO fixed satellite service using the band is doing so at its own risk and there shouldn't be an expectation of exclusivity there. The coalition said it "remains committed to working with the FCC and stakeholders to reach a win-win solution [and] will continue to pursue the facts that prove coexistence is possible in the band and advance the public interest."
OneWeb's study showing 5G incompatibility with non-geostationary orbit satellite operations in the 12 GHz band (see 2207120058) "is another in-house, non-independent effort to discredit the scientifically proven feasibility of coexistence in the 12 GHz band," the 12GHzfor5G Coalition emailed Tuesday. It said the FCC made it clear that any NGSO fixed satellite service using the band is doing so at its own risk and there shouldn't be an expectation of exclusivity there. The coalition said it "remains committed to working with the FCC and stakeholders to reach a win-win solution [and] will continue to pursue the facts that prove coexistence is possible in the band and advance the public interest."
The FCC has been deluged with comments by SpaceX supporters in recent days on a possible opening up of the 12 GHz band to 5G, but that input likely won't matter in an agency order, administrative law and commission experts told us. The real audience for the comments might be Congress, they said. The commission didn't comment.
Intelsat and SES expect further delays in satellite aspects of their parts in the C-band Phase II clearing. In their latest docket 18-122 quarterly status updates, they said they still anticipate meeting the overall Phase II clearing deadline. They had warned the FCC earlier this year of some satellite delays (see 2204010052).
SpaceX's move this spring into offering broadband service aimed at RVs (see 2205240020) might face some competition from low earth orbit constellation rivals, but the broader land-mobile broadband market isn't likely to be a big growth area soon for LEO, satellite broadband and vehicle connectivity experts told us. The FCC International Bureau approved SpaceX operating Ku-band earth stations in motion (ESIM) and Kepler operating Ku-band earth stations in vessels (ESV) in U.S. territorial waters and on U.S.-registered watercraft internationally last week, but with conditions.
Crisis call centers around the U.S. expect a slow rise in National Suicide Prevention Lifeline traffic once Lifeline's 988 calling capability goes nationwide later this month. Local exchange carriers are in various stages of readiness for the July 16 deadline.
The FCC is undertaking a revamp of its electronic International Bureau filing system (IBFS), per documents we obtained from the agency via a Freedom of Information Act request. IBFS is used for satellite and international telecommunications applications filings. Contractor Incentive Technology Group, part of digital tech consultancy ICF, didn't comment Friday. The work is "expected to take a couple years," an agency spokesperson emailed. Per agency paperwork we obtained, contractor responsibilities are to "modernize IBFS system and its supporting subsystems" through such steps as custom web interfaces and integrations with existing FCC platforms. It didn't give specifics. An agency Performance Work Statement from December said the agency has been working for more than a year on modernizing the legacy IBFS system and that work lately has focused on such areas as developing international high frequency requirements and on doing defect remediation. The agency said among contractor responsibilities are loading legacy system data -- including legacy satellite, earth station, IHF and Telecommunications and Analysis Division submarine cable data and attachments -- to the new IB production environment.
The commercial availability of equipment that will allow integrated terrestrial/non-terrestrial 5G networks could be 12 to 24 months out, satellite communications and wireless experts told us. With the increasing efforts being made to integrate terrestrial and satellite networks, satcom claiming a bigger role in 5G "is just a matter of time," said Miguel Costa, SES senior product manager-mobile backhaul, on a webinar Thursday. Many satellite experts think a widespread satcom role in 5G will be years off (see 2205180003).
The FCC gave Dish Network and designated entities SNR Wireless and Northstar Wireless an opportunity to cure control issues in the AWS-3 auction and fair notice of the legal standards it would apply in looking at their claims to be very small companies, said a U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel Tuesday, again rejecting challenges by the petitioners of the auction outcome. Oral argument was in January (see 2201140032). The D.C. Circuit in 2017 upheld the FCC's withholding of auction bidding credits to the DEs based on too-close ties to Dish (see 1708290012).