FCC Should Endorse ESIM/Iridium Coexistence, Say Inmarsat, SES, ViaSat

The FCC should make clear in a policy statement that earth stations in motion operations can be licensed in spectrum currently used by Iridium when an ESIM applicant demonstrates those operations won't have a significant effect on Iridium's licensed and actual feeder link operations. That's the position taken by Inmarsat, SES and ViaSat in a docket 17-95 filing posted Wednesday. It said the record makes clear ESIM operations can share spectrum with Iridium's feeder link operations. The three said when such a showing can't be made, the applicant could pursue an ESIM license through good faith coordination requirements and under Section 25.258 of FCC rules on non-geostationary orbit feeder link stations and geostationary services in the 29.25-29.5 GHz band. The companies said such an approach "would ensure that unused spectrum is not held hostage to an otherwise protracted coordination process." Iridium didn't comment.