Intelsat requested a 30-day special temporary authority to use its Castle Rock, Colo., Ku-band earth station, it said in an application to the FCC International Bureau (http://bit.ly/1b23kOp). Intelsat plans to use the earth station to provide launch and early orbit phase services for the TurkSat-4A satellite expected to launch Feb. 14, it said.
Consolidated reporting, limiting evidentiary information required for satellite construction milestones and other modifications proposed by Inmarsat can help improve the efficiency of the FCC International Bureau’s processes, Inmarsat said in a letter in docket 12-267 (http://bit.ly/1jsRhBK). The bureau should encourage parties to submit draft orders to speed resolution of contested matters, maintain a list on the bureau website of the orbital locations and frequency bands currently authorized by the commission, and recognize and support use of industry-led solutions to public interest issues, it said.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed Dish Network’s petition for review of the FCC’s interpretation of the federal common law of agency, that a seller may be vicariously liable for violations committed by telemarketers initiating calls to market the seller’s product. A panel of judges determined Wednesday that the issues “do not warrant a published opinion,” it said in a judgment from judges Merrick Garland, Judith Rogers and Harry Edwards (http://bit.ly/LYHHZP). The panel said the court lacks jurisdiction to review the FCC’s guidance. The case stemmed from a Justice Department complaint against Dish for alleged do-not-call violations, which included pre-recorded messages made by third parties on Dish’s behalf. Petitions filed by Dish for declaratory ruling on Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules followed in 2011 (CD Sept 4/12 p7). The FCC issued its declaratory ruling last year, saying “the seller has the ability, through its authorization, to oversee the conduct of its telemarketers, even if that power to supervise is unexercised.” (http://fcc.us/LZipKV). “This court has jurisdiction to review only ‘final orders’ of the FCC,” the judgment said. “The FCC agrees that the ‘guidance’ in question has no binding effect on courts,” it said.
KOB Albuquerque seeks to license a Ku-band transportable transmit-only earth station, it said in an application to the FCC International Bureau (http://bit.ly/LUtlcJ). The facilities will be used to provide news and event coverage via digital video and audio to the station, it said.
Gilat got a contract to provide satellite services to the Israeli government. Over three years, Gilat will supply fixed and satellite-on-the-move communications services based on Gilat Satellite Networks equipment, Gilat said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1moYuzN). The deal includes very small aperture terminals and low-profile and tracking satellite antennas “ensuring high-availability communications for the various government offices on a daily basis, as well as in emergency conditions,” it said.
The Satellite Industry Association applauded the passage of HR-3547, The Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included a provision to extend the commercial space launch indemnification. The three-year extension “ensures the continuation of a long-standing provision needed to help ensure the global competitiveness of U.S. companies,” SIA said in a news release Friday (http://bit.ly/1b8GRz1). The provision continues a risk management regime requiring launch service providers to acquire private launch insurance against the possibility of third party damages in the event of a failure involving government or commercial satellites, it said. But it offers government indemnification “for any such damages in excess of the required private launch insurance limits,” SIA said.
International Launch Services plans a 2015 launch of the Eutelsat 9B satellite. Eutelsat 9B is a high-capacity Ku-band satellite, ILS said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1j7EvZk). It will have 66 transponders that will deliver to Eutelsat enhanced performance for broadcasting at the established 9 degrees east location, it said. The satellite also will host the first data relay payload for the European Data Relay Satellite System, ILS said.
The Weather Channel became unavailable for DirecTV subscribers Tuesday, due to a carriage agreement dispute. The network “offered DirecTV the best rate for our programming, and I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day,” said Weather Channel CEO David Kenny in a statement (http://bit.ly/1eQwfrp). “We are not looking for a large fee increase.” DirecTV will continue providing weather news and information on competing channel WeatherNation, it said in a statement (http://bit.ly/1fryPZs). “Most customers don’t want to watch a weather information channel with a forecast of a 40 percent chance of reality TV,” it said referring to some of the original programming on the Weather Channel. The DBS company said it’s in the process of “discussing an agreement to return the network to our line-up at the right value for our customers.” Kenny referred to WeatherNation as “a cheap startup that does weather forecasting on a three-hour taped loop, has no field coverage, no weather experts ... and no experience in severe weather emergencies.”
Boeing applied new anti-jamming technology to an existing military satellite. Boeing sent a government-developed, protected signal through the sixth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS-6) satellite last month, Boeing said in a news release Monday (http://bit.ly/1eDEecR). “Engineers confirmed that the signal met all targets for accuracy and strength.” The demonstration shows the technology “offers an affordable option for enhancing anti-jam communications using existing commercial and U.S. government satellites and terminals,” it said. Boeing plans to continue developing and testing the technology for compatibility with other terminals and systems this year, it said.
DirecTV requested a modification of its operating authority to reorient the DirecTV 5 satellite. The satellite is located at 110.1 degrees west and it operates in the 12.2-12.7 GHz and 17.3-17.8 GHz bands, the FCC International Bureau said in a public notice (http://bit.ly/KJFLD1). LightSquared is seeking a modification of its Msat-2 satellite authorization. The satellite is located at 103.3 degrees west, the bureau said. LightSquared wants to extend the license term by one year “to continue service to its customers not transitioning to its second-generation space station, SkyTerra-1, as well as to provide a backup for that satellite,” it said. Intelsat applied for a 180-day special temporary authority to continue providing fixed satellite service at 43.10 degrees west using the 3700-4200 MHz, 5925-6425 MHz, 11.45-11.70 GHz, 11.7-12.2 GHz, and 14.0-14.5 GHz bands, it said.