OneWeb wants FCC approval for nearly tripling its non-geostationary (NGSO) satellite constellation granted U.S. market access in June (see 1706220039) from 720 satellites to 1,980. The International Bureau application Monday follows a pending ask for FCC OK to amend V-band broadband constellation application from 1,280 satellites to 2,560 (see 1801050002). OneWeb said it's seeking the modification in light of relaxed milestone rules for NGSOs adopted in September (see 1709260035), leading it "to reassess what it can achieve under the newly expanded milestone timeframe." The company pointed to those new milestone rules when it asked in January for the V-band constellation changes. In the latest filing, OneWeb said the move to 1,980 satellites is "another logical step" in its business plans of global broadband connectivity by 2027. It said it has market approval for the Ka- and Ku-bands the constellation would employ, and the additional satellites wouldn't increase interference risk. OneWeb said the additional satellites give it more tools for protection from interference and service interruptions coming from in-line events involving other satellite operators. It said it and other NGSO operators already are "expending substantial effort" in good-faith coordination talks. Satellite experts predicted the September NGSO rules changes might lead to other amendments to applications (see 1801100044).
The Broadband Access Coalition urged the FCC to marry a plan by Intel and Intelsat for clearing 3.7 GHz spectrum (see 1710020047) with BAC’s own plan for the 3.7-4.2 GHz band (see 1708080050). “The BAC supports a win-win-win solution,” said a filing in docket 17-183. “The Commission can achieve this win-win-win solution by combining the Intelsat/Intel and BAC proposals. These proposals are not inconsistent with one another.” BAC said the Intel/Intelsat plan on its own isn’t enough. “Standing by itself, the Intelsat/Intel concept will do nothing to provide broadband service to unserved and underserved communities, and therefore, it fails to address Chairman [Ajit] Pai’s top priority: closing the digital divide.” BAC said no one knows how much spectrum fixed satellite service operators need or are using, because the federal database is inadequate. “What Intel appears to be proposing is that FSS satellite operators be given carte blanche to determine (1) how much spectrum they can make available; (2) what frequencies they can make available; and (3) how much to charge for this spectrum,” BAC said. “This is absurd.” AT&T said in a recent filing it supports BAC efforts for the FCC to obtain more information from satellite operators on their use of the band and would go even further. AT&T said, for example, FSS operators should have to provide: “Specification of earth station coordinates and receiver parameters relevant for co-existence studies, including but not limited to reliable 3D coordinates; azimuth and elevation directions of the antenna boresight; receiver antenna pattern, including gain and tilt; center frequency and bandwidth; noise figure; and information on the front end for the receiver to calculate minimum guard and power restrictions from co and adjacent channel operations.”
Pointing to its goal of protecting positioning, navigation and timing services delivered via GPS, the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation (RNTF) in an FCC docket 11-109 letter posted Thursday to Chairman Ajit Pai and the regular commissioners opposed "any efforts" resulting in harmful interference to PNT services. It also included recent opinion pieces by members of the National Space-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board (see 1708070025) and by the Phoenix Center (see 1703210060) that questioned Ligado's planned terrestrial low-power broadband service as potentially being a major interference threat to GPS. RNTF didn't mention Ligado in its filing and didn't comment Friday. Ligado didn't comment.
OneWeb's ask to double the size of its proposed V-band broadband constellation (see 1801050002) and to employ the 12.2-12.7 GHz band constitutes a "newly filed application" and should go to the back of the queue and trigger a new processing round. That's what MVDDS 5G Coalition representatives including from Dish Network, Go Long Wireless and Vision Broadband told International and Wireless bureau staffers, according to an IB proceeding filing posted Wednesday. The coalition said at minimum, the FCC shouldn't consider the OneWeb proposed amendment until it's placed on public notice. It said members hold numerous licenses in the band for multichannel video and data distribution service and direct broadcast satellite services and it has been urging the FCC to open up that band to 5G. OneWeb didn't comment Thursday.
Since 2000, startup space ventures -- companies that began as angel- and venture capital-backed startups -- have attracted $18.4-plus billion in investment, Bryce Space and Technology reported Tuesday. Most of that has come in recent years, with $2.4 billion in 2015, $3 billion in 2016 and $2.5 billion last year, it said. The early 2000s had an average of four funded space companies starting annually, but the average has been 19 annually over the past six years, Bryce said. It said 2017's $2.5 billion figure involved 164 investors putting money into 73 startup ventures -- up from 136 investors and 65 ventures the year before. About 75 of all investment -- and 90 percent of seed and angel investment -- came from U.S. investors since 2015, it said.
With satellite on the verge of being a notable competitor in broadband services and a key part of the IoT (see 1803130029), the FCC needs to build on its history of promoting fixed satellite service broadband and keep approval of new, satellite-based services a top priority, Free State Foundation Senior Fellow Seth Cooper blogged Wednesday. He said the agency needs to continue to prioritize streamlining satellite service rules and clearing spectrum for commercial satellite use, urging making "suitable spectrum available in a timely fashion for new satellite technologies and services" and pointing to Ligado's proposed broadband terrestrial low-power service.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo of Brooklyn is recommending plaintiffs Dish Network, TVB Holdings, China Central TV and China International Communications collectively be awarded $46.14 million in statutory damages and that the defendant, alleged streaming video pirate HTV International, be enjoined from transmitting CCTV or TVB programming, including programming for which Dish has the copyright. That was the finding of a docket 16-cv-1489 report and recommendation (in Pacer) filed Friday with U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York. It said HTV mounted no defense and plaintiffs' allegations are enough to establish vicarious infringement. Dish and the Chinese programmers sought a certificate of default a year ago (see 1703230067).
Globalstar launched Globalstar Automotive, a division aimed at supporting the expected connected and autonomous vehicles and intelligent transport markets, it said Monday. Former Inmarsat Connected Car Program President Greg Ewert will head the division, reporting to President Dave Kagan, Globalstar said. (See the personals section in this publication's issue.)
Its cash reserves dwindling, Vancouver-based earth observation satellite operator UrtheCast said Friday it replaced CEO and co-founder Wade Larson with board member Greg Nordal as interim CEO. It said it started a search for a permanent CEO, and Larson will be a special adviser to the board focused on strategic business development. UrtheCast also said it hired FTI Consulting Canada to advise it on cost reduction and financing options, and it's shifting its business focus to construction and development of the UrtheCast constellation. UrtheCast also said it remained in negotiations with an unnamed investor on closing on financing for the constellation.
Telesat will collaborate with satellite operator Optus Satellite in live, over-the-air trials of its low earth orbit Phase 1 satellite launched in January, Telesat said Friday. It said its broadband constellation is expected to have 120 satellites by 2021. It said beyond joint Phase 1 testing, the Optus agreement also opens the door to joint services and market development plans.