C-Band Plan Seen Very Different From Ligado's Satellite Spectrum Reallocation Ask
The C-band clearing plan proposed by Intelsat/Intel/SES and Ligado's terrestrial low-power broadband service (TLPS) proposal both involve reallocating satellite spectrum, but the proceedings differ widely on the details, and FCC activity on the former doesn't necessarily mean anything forthcoming on the latter, said spectrum and satellite experts. Both are part of a broader trend of satellite spectrum being repurposed for terrestrial broadband use, with struggling satellite companies often at the forefront of that, said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project at New America.
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It's unclear whether FCC movement on C-band, with Chairman Ajit Pai talking about a vote in July (see 1805230031) could indicate activity to come on Ligado. A lawyer with satellite regulatory experience said the push for 5G could aid Ligado, with policymakers wanting to have as many tools available for 5G rollout. The C-band proposal isn't good news for Ligado since it potentially means an alternative source of spectrum for those who otherwise might have been Ligado or Globalstar customers, said spectrum and satellite consultant Tim Farrar. Clemson University Professor of Economics Tom Hazlett said whether the C-band activity greases the path for Ligado remains to be seen. The FCC didn't comment.
Ligado's plan involves repurposing of fairly narrow bands of mobile satellite spectrum to terrestrial use, while the C-band proposal is of a wider -- and underutilized -- band of 100 MHz, Calabrese said. That narrowness issue meant there's not been much interest among national mobile carriers, unlike the C-band, with its bigger potential capacity and because of global harmonization, Calabrese said.
The C-band proceeding is being relatively fast tracked by the FCC largely because the only parties raising concerns are broadcasters, with those concerns largely involving paying of their relocation expenses, a lawyer with satellite clients said. C-band is an easier lift, with no interagency process or advisory committees, than in proceedings like Ligado, the lawyer said. But the C-band proceeding -- like Ligado and Globalstar's TLPS plans approved in 2016 (see 1612230060) -- are all manifestations of the same issue of substantial spectrum allocated to satellite now being reallocated to terrestrial use, the lawyer said, saying the C-band proceeding could be encouraging for Ligado.
The C-band has far fewer complications in terms of interference and thus has less focused opposition than other proposals like Ligado, said Farrar. "It's also possible to come up with win-win solutions, like allocating more of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed, whereas with Ligado there are just winners and losers," he said. The C-band proposal is wholesale reallocation, with satellite operators getting compensation, that takes their potential objections off the table compared to letting terrestrial operations into the band, he said: "If they're getting paid to adjust their operations, to accommodate, then money solves the problem."
A big difference between the C-band activity and the Ligado and Globalstar TLPS efforts is that C-band started with a mid-band NOI on making a portion available for terrestrial service (see 1708030052), while the companies' efforts were started by parties who wanted terrestrial rights for their existing licenses, said the lawyer with satellite regulatory experience. Another big difference is the idea floated in January by the National Security Council (NSC) for a nationalized 5G network that could employ in part spectrum in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band (see 1801290034), the lawyer said. Even though the FCC and private industry rejected the idea, that the NSC identified a 5G gap as a national security issue seemingly lit a fire for that spectrum band, with the SES iteration of the plan coming a couple weeks afterward (see 1802090016), the lawyer said. Before the NSC proposal, the Intelsat/Intel idea likely wasn't going anywhere, the lawyer said. And unlike the Ligado proceeding, the C-band plan doesn't involve interference issues or existing holders of terrestrial rights and the spectrum is next the 3.5 GHz band and could link up with it, creating a sizable amount of mid-band spectrum for 5G, the lawyer said. Calabrese said it's unlikely the NSC's "harebrained idea" was a factor, but if the NSC idea had gone forward, there might have been an even more aggressive effort to clear earth stations from the C-band.
Regulatory proceedings are idiosyncratic, and the moment and concerns of various interest groups can hit the policy space fortuitously or not, said Clemson's Hazlett, who previously was an FCC chief economist. He said the push for 5G, as well as the change in administration at the FCC with Chairman Ajit Pai, also could be helping drive the C-band proposal, with new administrations often wanting signature policies.
"Because more spectrum is required to win the 5G race, it’s smart policy to prioritize bands like the C and L-bands that are complementary to one another and respectively address different requirements for next-generation networks that will spur U.S. innovation and investment in our nation’s digital infrastructure.” Ligado emailed.