Likely marquee items for the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference will include space-to-space satellite links, and big mobile and satellite industry focus on the 6 GHz band, U.S. WRC delegates said at an FCBA event Thursday. Boeing Global Spectrum Management Vice President Audrey Allison said as spectrum use increases, such issues are becoming more contentious.
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
The 5G Spectrum Act, even if it doesn't become law, could benchmark how satellite communications incumbents get compensated for clearing part of the C band, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly told reporters Tuesday in a wide-ranging interview. S-2881 "does have weight," especially as there seemingly has been a general shift from Capitol Hill resistance to any incentives, said. If satcom incumbents receive a percentage of the $40 billion in auction proceeds, as the legislation says (see 2001090021), debate will likely center on between 30 and 50 percent, though compensation could be a hard number for incumbents, or a combination of percentage and hard number, he said.
With the FCC through much of the incentive auction repack, it's pushing broadcasters to start closeout procedures instead of waiting nearer to the July 2023 fixed transition closeout date. The agency will likely set an earlier broadcaster deadline for submitting invoices, said Media Bureau Video Division Special Counsel Dana Leavitt at an FCBA event Thursday.
The FCC International Bureau is discussing how to tackle non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service licensing issues that the agency's NGSO FSS rules revision and streamlining didn't tackle (see 1709260035), bureau Satellite Division Policy Branch Chief Stephen Duall told us after an FCBA satellite event Wednesday. He said the Part 2 and Part 25 rules changes were necessary to allow processing of mega constellation applications, but matters like how to handle applications filed after the close of a processing round were left to be addressed on a case-by-case basis "and now they're being filed." Asked about the timing of updated orbital debris rules, he said the issue remains a priority for commissioners. He said the bureau is also "working ... diligently" to incorporate 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference actions on such items as earth stations in motion into its own rules, but couldn't give specifics on timing.
The commercial space universe is about to see mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the small-satellite and small-satellite launch market, investment experts said Tuesday at a Washington Space Business Roundtable event. Expect more business failures over the next year or two in the smallsat launch market as the imbalance of many startups vs. a minimal commercial market starts to catch up with the burgeoning industry, said Bryce Space and Technology CEO Carissa Christensen. Launch supply always outstrips demand, as nations want their own launch capabilities, and governments are the chief market for small launchers, she said.
Time of the essence in clearing parts of the C band for 5G, and incentivized satellite operators making up the C-Band Alliance are best positioned to do that quickly, CBA said in a docket 18-122 posting Tuesday. Not involving the CBA in the transition "would be legally perilous" and the Communications Act doesn't allow the FCC to make fundamental, unilateral changes to licenses, it said. Intelsat and SES working to clear the band would include 10-figure investments in new satellites, "a highly orchestrated plan" for a series of migrations, free dual illumination capacity for customers to allow the moves and procurement and possibly deployment of an interference mitigation solution that includes a specific radio frequency filter configuration, it said. Given the importance of doing so quickly, the group should get "fair and appropriate" financial incentives, it said. The coalition, SES and Intelsat executives also discussed the coalition's possible role in a speedy transition, and compensation for that, meeting with an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai. Ericsson officials, meeting with Wireless and International Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology staff, said earth station equipment upgrades needed to repurpose the band should come with requirements for using high-performing low noise blocks. Ericsson discussed satellite elevation angles that could reduce the coordination requirements between 5G base stations and earth stations. Harmonic said CBA should be the transition facilitator for band clearing since only it has "a complete understanding of all elements of a successful transition." The video gearmaker said CBA has already evaluated current C-band operations and created an implementation plan, and a different third party would have to replicate that planning and analysis.
The North American Numbering Council is sending draft technical requirements document for a reassigned numbers database administrator to the FCC. NANC members approved an amended version of its draft Monday. Contract Oversight Subcommittee co-Chairman Phil Linse of CenturyLink said the database would function so that when it gets a query of a number and date, it would respond with "yes," "no" or "no data" to show if the number has been permanently disconnected since that date. He said the database would be federally procured and owned, provided through a contract, with updates monthly -- on the 15th or the next available business day. The hourlong meeting had back and forth about whether the scope of the database also covers number resellers having to submit information; the consensus being they do. Also discussed were database capabilities for querying 50 numbers at once, how mistakes would be addressed and whether data updates could be done more frequently. NANC Chair Jennifer McKee of NCTA said the next step is for the FCC to seek public comment. The agency didn't comment about timing. The agency in 2018 directed NANC to make recommendations on reassigned number database technical and operational issues (see 1812120026).
With the FCC's Jan. 30 meeting agenda not including a draft order for a C-band auction, as earlier anticipated (see 1912130061), parties in the proceeding now expect one to land in February. Consensus isn't universal, and action could come later. Commissioners meet publicly Feb. 28, that month's last business day.
Satellite operators remain divided on the FCC assessing satellite application and regulatory fees on foreign-licensed satellites with U.S. access (see 1912090053), in docket 19-105 replies posted Tuesday. The fees are proposed as part of the FY 2020 fee schedule. A broadcaster urged changing the methodology for calculating VHF regulatory fees.
Don't expect big, transformative mergers and acquisitions in entertainment and media this year, experts said in recent interviews. Instead, companies are focused more on direct-to-consumer offerings and on integrating and rationalizing the properties they have, analysts and lawyers said.