SpaceX Talks 2 GHz, 1.6/2.4 GHz Bands With Space Bureau

The 2 GHz and 1.6/2.4 GHz mobile satellite service (MSS) bands are prime for sharing with new entrant satellite systems, SpaceX told FCC Space Bureau staff, including Chief Jay Schwarz. In a docket 25-173 filing posted Wednesday recapping the meeting, SpaceX said the agency should make clear that EchoStar's market access in the 2 GHz band has expired and that the band is open for competitive entry. Granting Globalstar's application for 1.6/2.4 GHz access for its French-licensed C-3 system without processing other pending applications "would effectively cede control" of harmonized midband MSS frequencies to a foreign administration, it said. SpaceX also discussed satellite-related proposals in the FCC's "Delete" proceeding, including the addition of categories of satellite modifications that don't require prior approval. In a docket 25-133 filing, SpaceX said it also proposed adopting "self-coordinated 'light licensing'” instead of site-by-site earth station licensing in millimeter-wave bands and presuming that granting a satellite or earth station application would serve the public interest as long as it operates within existing rules.