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Iridium filed a petition for a rulemaking to promote expanded mobile...

Iridium filed a petition for a rulemaking to promote expanded mobile satellite service (MSS) in the Big low earth orbit (LEO) MSS band (http://bit.ly/WZgwyd). Iridium concurrently filed its petition in docket RM-11685, which pertains to Globalstar’s petition for a rulemaking…

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to use its Big LEO spectrum for terrestrial transmissions. Iridium asked the FCC to designate the 1616-1618.725 MHz portion of the Big LEO band “for exclusive use by MSS systems employing time division multiple access techniques rather than code division multiple access techniques,” the petition said. Globalstar’s proposed changes would have a pervasive impact on the Big LEO band “that would have serious implications for the future of critical MSS in the band,” it said. If the FCC intends to pursue Globalstar’s proposal, it should consolidate the two petitions and issue one NPRM “to address the fundamental reexamination of the Big LEO band contemplated by both parties,” Iridium said. Elimination of the ancillary terrestrial component gating criteria and grant to Globalstar of full flexibility of use for terrestrial operations “could change the entire character of the band by giving priority to terrestrial services over MSS,” it added. Globalstar “has no interest in giving any of its allocated spectrum to Iridium,” said Barbee Ponder, Globalstar regulatory affairs vice president. The FCC “should summarily dismiss Iridium’s petition given the fact that the FCC recently conducted a comprehensive review of the Big LEO band in 2008,” he said in a statement. “While Iridium continues to increase its prices on its customer base for service over an aged constellation, those customers -- many of whom are former Globalstar customers -- will now have a real alternative.”