GLOBALSTAR DISPUTES FINDINGS BY TERRESTRIAL CARRIERS

CTIA also filed comments June 27 asking Commission to reallocate spectrum from MSS and make it available to other services through auction. Iridium said ATC wasn’t necessary for successful MSS business, but company supports flexible use in band. Iridium proposed Secondary Terrestrial service that wouldn’t favor or prejudice any MSS licensee and would allow terrestrial operators to compete for access to spectrum while ensuring primacy of MSS allocation. Iridium said that would promote cooperative ventures among terrestrial operators and MSS operators. Terrestrial systems must be secondary to MSS systems and 2 GHz MSS licensees should be awarded specific Home Spectrum blocks now so bidders for STS licenses would know identity of primary licensee in each block along with technical parameters, it said.

In response, Globalstar asked Commission to consider: (1) Integrated MSS-ATC system can dynamically assign frequencies to satellite and terrestrial calls to maximize spectrum use in ways that can’t be accomplished if ATC is severed from MSS component. There are significant technical, economic and practical barriers to successful intrasystem cooperation in network composed of independent MSS and ATC providers. (2) Dynamic frequency assignment is systemwide operating principle that permits efficient use of spectrum through service area, not just at boundary between MSS and ATC use for single channel. (3) Potential ATC capacity based on existing Globalstar system would be more than adequate to support construction and operation of ATC network. (4) Co- frequency sharing by Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Fixed Service (FS) licensees at Ku-band and 39 GHz were irrelevant to issuance of frequency sharing by mobile satellite and mobile terrestrial companies. (5) Communications Act doesn’t require auction of spectrum. (6) CDMA air interfaces support dynamic frequency assignments for satellite and terrestrial calls. (7) MSS operators’ request for ATC authority doesn’t mean companies have too much spectrum or have desire to offer terrestrial service at expense of satellite service. Grant of ATC authority will improve financial standing and spectrum efficiency for MSS service and will aid rather than impair service to rural and remote areas, it said.

Terrestrial Carriers incorrectly claimed use of separate channel assignments in terrestrial and satellite modes of integrated system within same geographic area supported segmentation of MSS spectrum for unaffiliated terrestrial and satellite providers, Globalstar said. Band segmentation would severely impair available spectrum resources for MSS and would increase difficulty of dynamic frequency assignment for MSS-ATC whether offered by one or two service providers, filing said. AT&T “sticks to its comments,” spokeswoman said, but may file rebuttal later.

Globalstar filing makes clear that its desire to provide terrestrial services is based solely on its belief that obtaining free spectrum will enhance its economic viability, AT&T Wireless spokeswoman said. Despite attempt to “poke holes” in AT&T wireless and other terrestrial companies’ technical analysis, “its own submission comes to the same conclusion” that granting its request would do nothing to help improve telecom services in rural areas or “save the faltering mobile satellite industry,” spokeswoman said, adding: “The fact is Globalstar is in bankruptcy and desperately wants the FCC to give it something for nothing.”