Space Norway, Telesat Canada NGSO Constellations Given US Market Access

Two non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) constellations seeking U.S. market access now have it, with a pair of orders issued Friday. Space Norway's approval is conditioned on the company internationally coordinating with other operators and on the ITU giving it a favorable or "qualified favorable" rating on its equivalent power flux density limit demonstration before initiating service, the FCC said in an order. The regulator also approved a Space Norway-requested waiver of geographic coverage requirements, saying its Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission system is intended to cover only the pan-Arctic region and that would help provide connectivity to unserved and underserved areas of Alaska. In its Telesat order, the agency denied a OneWeb request that Telesat approval be conditioned on maintaining a 125 km buffer zone with other NGSO systems, saying collision concerns are best addressed "through inter-operator coordination."