Having affiliated parties like SOM1101 and OneWeb control two non-geostationary orbit systems in a processing round would distort competition broadly and lessen the likelihood of successful sharing spectrum negotiations among satellite operators, SpaceX representatives told aides to FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel. A filing Monday said SpaceX said the two companies haven't backed up claims OneWeb Chairman/SOM1101 principal Greg Wyler is somehow uniquely situated to take over the Boeing NGSO applications over other investors who don't have competing applications. That Wyler is also an investor in EarthNow -- which said it plans real-time continuous video of most of the planet via an earth imaging constellation -- raises questions about "the wherewithal necessary" to execute on any of these projects, SpaceX said. The company said even if the FCC waives its multiple-ownership rule, the change in applicant constitutes a major modification under Section 25.116(b) of agency rules on amendments to satellite applications, and thus should be considered under a separate processing round. SOM1101 outside counsel and Boeing didn't comment Tuesday. SpaceX has been among a number of satellite operators opposing transfer of Boeing NGSO applications to SOM1101 (see 1803230004 and 1802130019).

Clearing 100 MHz of C-band spectrum will require modifications to the Intelsat and SES networks, and to their customers' networks, Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler said in an earnings call Tuesday. He said the modifications will include additional equipment at downlink earth stations, relocating some facilities or changes to the configurations of satellites. He said the company has been lobbying Capitol Hill on the C-band plan, and FCC representatives it's met showed an interest in the proposal. He said satellite has a big potential role in 5G deployment, given the time such services will take to reach remote or rural areas. He said capital expenditures should start tapering down as the company comes to the end of its Epic network deployment, with its Horizons 3e satellite to be launched later this year, and the upcoming replacement of this North American Galaxy satellites to be done by smaller, cheaper satellites. An NPRM on the satellite companies' midband plan is expected by some this summer (see 1804200003).

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology renewed SiriusXM's experimental license for testing new types of low-power terrestrial repeaters the company hopes will mitigate interference subscribers suffer due to wireless transmissions. The company said the interference comes from base stations operating on advanced wireless services spectrum and personal communications service spectrum and by operations in the adjacent wireless communications service band. It said the repeaters are in midtown Manhattan and New Jersey, it identified other AWS/PCS interference areas where testing should occur, and it's negotiating leases to install four more experimental repeaters at those sites in and around Manhattan. That testing is to start by year's end, the company said, saying leases are under negotiation for repeater testing in Los Angeles and San Francisco. SiriusXM said it expects to request authority to expand the geographic scope of its experimental license, and once testing is done it hopes to authorize nationwide, long-term use of terrestrial repeaters to be located near or at WCS, PCS and AWS transmitters that are or could be creating interference.

Citing the higher cash offer from Comcast (see 1804250026), Sky's independent committee withdrew its recommendation of the Fox takeover offer and terminated the cooperation agreement with Fox, it said Wednesday. It said Comcast's voluntary commitments for Sky News "should comprehensively address any potential public interest concerns." Fox said it "remains committed to its recommended cash offer for Sky ... and is currently considering its options."

Satellite operators can have a significant role in 5G by augmenting mobile networks with satellite capabilities, GlobalData said Wednesday. It said high latency and lower reliability than fiber and DSL options have kept satellite as a provider of last resort for 3G and LTE networks, covering only rural areas. But high-throughput satellites are being built on open architectures, making them more flexible and easier to integrate into 5G, it said.

With new apps and web player giving SiriusXM subscribers access through smartphones, smart TVs and smart speakers, “it’s never been easier to enjoy SiriusXM outside the car,” said CEO Jim Meyer on a Wednesday earnings call. The company is “building the resources to focus on acquiring streaming-only subscribers,” he said. Such additions “will invariably be small compared to subs generated from our 20-million-plus annual vehicle trial funnel,” he said. “If we are successful, they still could meaningfully bend our long-term subscriber-growth arc.” Though competitors were successful in expanding subscriptions through a “streaming-only offering,” SiriusXM hasn’t “really been able to do what I wanted to do, technically, until recently,” in the streaming space, said Meyer. President-Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein sees “lots of opportunities” for video. He said it's "complementary to our audio, and it will stay that way, but there are obviously assets that come to mind that would be valuable in video, in short-form video, with very little expense to put them out" a la what's coming from Sirius host Howard Stern.

Intelsat and SES are in the midst of a "detailed and comprehensive" study to assess the effect on existing C-band earth stations of 5G base stations operating in the 3.7-38 GHz band, also looking at various mitigation techniques like filter, shielding and low noise block, they said in docket 17-183 ex parte filings (see here and here) posted Tuesday. They said there's consultation with filter manufacturers to design one that achieves the necessary attenuation in the smallest bandwidth possible. But filtering won't help the fact earth stations will receive 5G out-of-band emissions in band, and trade-off assessments are underway to figure out OOBE requirements. Attendees included Wireless Bureau Chief Don Stockdale, International Bureau Chief Tom Sullivan and Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Julius Knapp.

Comments are due May 23 on coordination requested by the Canadian government for an Ontario earth station in the 3700-4200 MHz and 5925-6425 MHz bands, the FCC International Bureau said in a public notice Monday. It said if no adverse comments are received, the earth station will be considered satisfactorily coordinated with the U.S. and Canada.

Changes in federal oversight of commercial space activities under the American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act (HR-2809) coming to vote a Tuesday are "about as 'light touch' and industry friendly as you can get," Secure World Foundation Director-Program Planning Brian Weeden said in a series of tweets Saturday. He said the legislation lines up with White House proposals to move most licensing authority to Commerce Department's Office of Space Commerce (OSC), though the FCC would keep spectrum licensing and the FAA would keep launch and re-entry licensing. It also gives OSC new authority to provide "certification to operate" new types of commercial space activities not covered by the current licensing regime, he said. Companies will have to submit space debris mitigation plans, though Commerce's ability to require mitigation steps "is very limited," he said, saying the legislation creates civil penalties of up to $500,000 for a company that doesn't comply with the requirements or operates without a permit or certificate. The bill authorizes but doesn't appropriate "a paltry" $5 million for OSC to carry out the work "which is far more than they currently get but far less than what they likely need," he said.

OneWeb Chairman Greg Wyler's track record developing non-geostationary orbit satellite systems makes his SOM1101 the best option for ensuring that Boeing-proposed NGSO satellite systems get built, launched and provide data services globally, Boeing officials told a staffer to outgoing FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, reported a filing posted Wednesday. Boeing and SOM1101 have been lobbying for FCC approval to transfer two Boeing NGSO applications to SOM1101 (see 1803290002 and 1804100001). O3b, which Wyler founded and which opposes the transfer, disclosed last week it met with staffers of Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to dispute arguments that Wyler isn't considered affiliated with OneWeb under FCC rules.