The Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA), in a letter to Senate Commerc...
The Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA), in a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. McCain (R-Ariz.), disputed Northpoint Technology statements about its treatment by the FCC. SIA disputed Northpoint’s claim that it was at a regulatory disadvantage to satellite providers.…
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In an Oct. letter to McCain, Northpoint said Multichannel Video Distribution & Data Services (MVDDS) should be exempt from spectrum auctions because they would provide a competing service to satellite DBS providers (CD Oct 30 p14). Northpoint is lobbying for amendments that would grant such an auction exception. One such amendment was added to the Senate Commerce Justice State appropriations bill (S-1585). “Northpoint’s assertion contrasts sharply with the position of the Honorable [FCC] Chairman Michael Powell, who indicated in an October 23, 2003, letter to you that the last decade has seen ‘explosive wireless growth, innovation and competition,'” the Nov. 11 letter said. SIA also said that while the FCC hadn’t held an auction for domestic DBS licenses in more than 6 years, the Commission had auctioned satellite licenses in another domestic satellite service, including the Digital Audio Radio Satellite (DARS). The FCC also will auction several DBS orbital positions soon, the letter said. SIA said Northpoint also was wrong when it said the FCC had given Boeing spectrum without auction. The FCC didn’t give Boeing spectrum in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, as SIA said Northpoint reported, and the spectrum award was analogous to satellite earth stations, which also aren’t auctioned.