17 GHz Band FSS Operations See Satellite Backing, Wireless Red Flags

Lockheed Martin and Thales said the FSS allocations would help meet growing demand for more Ka-band downlink spectrum for high-throughput satellites. They said 17/24 GHz rules could be updated and extended to 17 GHz FSS networks. To protect incumbent direct broadcast satellite and broadcast satellite service operations, Hughes backed limiting geostationary FSS operations in the swath to low-density applications like gateways and feeder links. Inmarsat said FSS satellites that sought authorization in the 17 GHz band exponentially increased in the past 10 years, and growth will continue, with it launching Ka-band payloads on its GX6A and GX6B satellites and next three Xpress satellites over two years. Backing the NPRM, Viasat said the FCC should allow earth stations in motion to operate in the 17 GHz band in the same manner as GSO FSS earth stations and give blanket-licensed earth stations there the same level of interference protection as a conforming earth station that wasn't blanket licensed. Amazon's Kuiper urged a Further NPRM to consider allowing non-geostationary orbit FSS use of the 17.3-17.7 GHz band, saying it would "remedy the imbalance" between accessible uplink and downlink spectrum available to Ka-band systems. CTIA said it's "premature" to look at the 17 GHz allocations since it's intertwined with the 12 GHz band NPRM, and issues there haven't been considered. It said the proposed technical fixed service protections are outdated and may not protect it, and proposed FSS allocations and service rules could hurt some uses of the frequencies. AT&T urged operational requirements to protect incumbent DBS and terrestrial fixed service via such steps as wider minimum orbital spacing requirements between GSO FSS downlinks and existing and proposed incumbents' satellites and restriction of GSO FSS downlinks to gateway-type earth stations.