SES' C-band transition plan is "on track," with the company anticipating "substantial" proceeds, CEO Steve Collar said in a call with analysts Thursday. He said the customer transitions are underway. The first tranche of accelerated relocation incentive payments will be used "to strengthen our balance sheet," he said, but it's "a little early" to discuss use of the second payment.
Matt Daneman
Matt Daneman, Senior Editor, covers pay TV, cable broadband, satellite, and video issues and the Federal Communications Commission for Communications Daily. He joined Warren Communications in 2015 after more than 15 years at the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, where he covered business among other issues. He also was a correspondent for USA Today. You can follow Daneman on Twitter: @mdaneman
Alaska Communications Systems' $300 million purchase by Macquarie Capital and GCM Grosvenor should close in the second half of 2021 (also see personals section, this issue), CEO Bill Bishop noted on a call Thursday: The deal needs regulatory OK. ACS Chairman Dave Karp said the takeover should mean more resources for operations. Q3 revenue was $60.5 million, up 2.3% year over year. ACS said it completed its subsea fiber network upgrade and is in the midst of deploying fiber for 5G backhaul, while fiber to the home remains a priority. Bishop said the spectrum bought in the FCC citizens broadband radio service auction covers more than 40% of the population of the state and would be used for broadband delivery.
Wireless and satellite critics of AST's planned 243-satelltie non-geostationary orbit constellation to provide mobile broadband connectivity (see 2011040003) "don't know our system," CEO Abel Avellan said in an interview Thursday. He said concerns about lack of proof of interference protections and about spectrum use incompatible with FCC rules "are simply not factual," and the company will respond. The plans for satellite-based connectivity to mobile devices "is revolutionary, [and] when you bring something completely new, people don't understand it," he said. The company is seeking regulatory approvals other than the U.S. and plans to begin putting up its constellation in late 2021, he said.
AST's request for U.S. market access for a 243-satelltie non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) constellation to provide mobile satellite service (see 2004140001) is getting pushback from some satellite operators and wireless providers. In a petition to deny this week with the FCC International Bureau, Hughes/EchoStar said none of the 617-960 MHz or 17110-2200 MHz spectrum AST wants to use is allocated for such use or otherwise available for licensing. They urged dismissal or deferred consideration of AST’s proposed V-band operations until a new processing round. Verizon said providing satellite-based connectivity to smartphones and tablets using terrestrial wireless spectrum would be incompatible with rules, and AST didn't explain how it could do so without interfering with U.S. terrestrial operations. The telco said AST didn't provide enough technical information to assess whether its SpaceMobile satellite network would interfere with wireless networks. It's "of such magnitude that [it] must be addressed via rulemaking before the full Commission," T-Mobile asked. The carrier said AST isn't seeking authority now to use terrestrial mobile spectrum and instead plans to lease terrestrial mobile spectrum, but rules for long-term de facto transfer leases say if the underlying spectrum is only for certain services, those restrictions also apply to the spectrum lessee. CTIA said AST's request lacks any demonstration of how terrestrial mobile operations will be protected. The group said high-band spectrum use that's inconsistent with the table of allocations should be subject to rulemaking. Telesat Canada said AST's petition came well after the deadline for the last V-band processing round, so it's unclear why the petition was accepted: It should be considered if a new processing round is opened, alongside other V-band asks. The company said any AST approval should be conditioned on protecting systems authorized in that initial processing round, like Telesat's. Boeing didn't object to AST OK and seeks first a processing round for V-band NGSO systems. AT&T said AST's technology "is promising," but its petition raises technical issues deserving study, and the requester should provide technical evidence to confirm that coexistence with terrestrial mobile systems is feasible. Rakuten Mobile, an AST investor, said the satellite operator's technology "could significantly improve 4G and 5G availability." AST didn't comment Wednesday.
With the greatly diminished voice transmission market power of ILECs, their possession of copper loops is hardly meaningful, so the FCC sensibly ended the requirement they provide copper wire services to competitors at subsidized pricing. That's per the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Tuesday as it rejected Incompas and California Public Utilities Commission challenges to a 2019 forbearance order (see 2003260040).
In what he said will likely be his final speech as a commissioner, Mike O’Rielly told a GSMA/CTIA conference FCC should focus on the 7 GHz and other bands in the months ahead and that some, if not all 7 Ghz, should be repurposed for 5G. Beyond making the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for 5G, and potentially spectrum below 3.45, the next vein of spectrum to tap for 5G isn't clear and warrants a discussion, said AT&T Vice President-Federal Regulatory Hank Hultquist.
Challengers of the C-band clearing order (see 2007220003) and a panel of federal judges discussed whether the FCC did enough by ensuring 200 remaining megahertz are enough for incumbent satellite operators' future needs, in oral argument Wednesday. With the FCC auction in December, there's a hope and expectation that the expedited argument will mean the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will rule by then, though the court hasn't signaled any specific timing, a lawyer involved in the legal challenge told us.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Tuesday the agency thinks it's on a strong legal foundation for whatever challenge may come after its 3-2 approval of a net neutrality remand order, despite an expected legal challenge or reconsideration petition (see 2010150026). The two Democratic commissioners dissented. There also were full or partial dissents to decisions ending some ILEC unbundling and resale requirements with varying transition periods for different network elements, a robocalls enforcement order wireless infrastructure rules and the 5G Fund creation (see 2010270034). But there was no clash on other orders. No approved order texts were released Tuesday.
About 350 SpaceX satellites are in orbit with deployable visors to reduce the reflective light pollution they give off, and Amazon's Kuiper is taking astronomy concerns into consideration in its plans, in design stage for its low earth orbit (LEO) mega constellation. That's according to satellite operators Monday in a Satellite Industry Association/American Astronomical Society virtual panel about an AAS/National Science Foundation report released in August on some possible mitigations (see 2010020036). Jeff Hall, chairman of the AAS Committee on Light Pollution, Radio Interference and Space Debris, said a second report with more policy focus is being planned.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an economic and public health challenge, with small businesses -- especially minority-owned ones -- bearing the brunt, Chairman Ajit Pai said Friday at an FCC tech supplier diversity event. (See also his prepared remarks). Black-owned businesses are shutting down at twice the rate White-owned businesses are, and the pandemic exacerbated preexisting issues like a lack of access to capital, he said. Much of the virtual showcase was an explanation of such resources as the Small Business Administration's. Melissa Bradley, founder of Washington startup accelerator 1863 Ventures, said there are other grant programs, though there's no good way of tracking them. They often are narrow in scope and focus on an underserved neighborhood or geography, she said. Sonja Wells, interim chief lending officer for Black-owned City First Bank, said it did about $32 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans, and could have done more. She said minority businesses often aren't as prepared with required documentation, such as audited financial statements, as they should be when applying for funding. In a discussion about available funding for LGBTQ-owned businesses, National Urban League Senior Vice President-Policy and Advocacy Clint Odom said lawmakers are listening to constituents more closely about social justice issues and "need to hear from you about such issues." Internet Association interim CEO Jon Berroya said a second benchmark survey on workforce data for companies in the internet industry is being prepared.