The FCC shouldn't go it alone on updating orbital debris regulations but should coordinate with other agencies, numerous satellite interests said in docket 18-313 replies last week. The Commerce Department in initial comments asked the FCC to pause the rulemaking proceeding (see 1904080033). But commenters didn't reach consensus on issues like orbital spacing between large constellations and how best to assess risk.
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
Satellite operators largely agree with opening parts of the Ku and Ka bands to earth stations in motion communications with geostationary orbit (GSO) fixed satellite service (FSS) satellites, in FCC docket 17-95 replies posted Thursday. Expanding frequencies available to geostationary ESIM networks will allow for more intensive spectrum use, SES/O3b and Intelsat said. Many agree that concerns about downlinks interfering with protected passive scientific observations at 10.6-11.7 GHz and 18.6-18.8 GHz are off base. ViaSat said they're already protected by FCC rules and that ESIMs in those bands would be in receive mode only anyway. Boeing said operators won't be launching additional GSO FSS satellites to increase capacity because of limits on satellite spacing. It said ESIMs have sufficient interference protections from fixed service networks. Iridium urged disregarding any "out-of-left-field request" to let FSS ESIMs in the 19.4-19.6 band as beyond the scope of the NPRM while there's no justification for swerving from agency precedent that the band be limited to non-GSO mobile satellite service feeder downlinks.
Commissioners are of multiple minds what authority the FCC has overseeing commercial satellite orbital debris issues. Brendan Carr concurred in part Thursday on approval of Theia's non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation authorization because of those debris jurisdictional issues. Other members approved the order and authorization. The constellation is the latest in a slew of NGSO constellation OKs by the commissioners in the past two years (see 1811090002).
A lot of the time and effort at 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) will likely involve agenda item 1.13 on millimeter wave spectrum for international mobile telecom operations, said government and industry experts at a Satellite 2019 panel Wednesday. It's less clear whether those discussions will be contentious. With that many delegates and nations, "there's always a contest of some sort," said Ken Turner, deputy director-spectrum policy and programs, DOD Chief Information Office.
If there's to be a national three-digit suicide hotline number, expanding use of 211 -- already employed for community service referrals including crisis- and mental health-related calls in parts of the U.S. -- is the best route, with a 211 administrator to oversee that work, said the FCC North American Number Council. NANC on Wednesday unanimously adopted a report from its Numbering Administration Oversight Working Group.
Satellite will play a role in 5G, but not immediately, because it will take time for deployment outside the denser urban areas, and in the meantime satellite's big focus will be on 4G, satellite operator CEOs said Tuesday at Satellite 2019. 4G “still has a long, long way to go” and its deployment will remain the main route for satellite operators participating in mobile until 5G starts rural deployment, said SES' Steve Collar on a panel.
The FCC shouldn't go it alone on updating orbital debris regulations but should coordinate with other agencies, numerous satellite interests said in docket 18-313 replies last week. The Commerce Department in initial comments asked the FCC to pause the rulemaking proceeding (see 1904080033). But commenters didn't reach consensus on issues like orbital spacing between large constellations and how best to assess risk.
C band made available for terrestrial 5G in the U.S. could carry a price tag of tens of billions of dollars, with the investment community generally expecting the FCC to opt for the C-Band Alliance proposal and satellite operators all likely to get a windfall, financial analysts said at the Satellite 2019 show Monday. Raymond James' Ric Prentiss said the FCC wants more consensus before it decides on a C-band approach.
As the FCC readies rules for an 833 toll-free number auction, with commissioners set to vote Thursday on a public notice on auction participation and procedures, toll-free number industry insiders said such an auction anytime soon could be poor timing. That's due to big question marks on how carriers will handle location-based services. Only a fraction of 833 numbers would have noteworthy demand in an auction anyway, and the limbo that location-based services are in could mean auction prices for those particularly desirable numbers could be depressed, said Bruno Tabbi, Ignition Toll Free president.
Even revised broadband deployment numbers still show a narrowing digital divide, with notable broadband deployments particularly in rural areas, the FCC said Wednesday. Some skeptics and critics of the initial report (see 1903060034) seemed partly mollified about the new data, though not pleased with the pace of deployment. "The new data doesn't change the ... fundamental conclusion: we are closing the digital divide," Chairman Ajit Pai said.