Satellite Operators Continue Jousting Over ESIM Compatibility Issues
Iridium on one side and Inmarsat, SES and ViaSat on the other are making their cases against or for earth stations in motion operations (ESIM) in the 29.25-29.3 GHz band with Chairman Ajit Pai's office. Excluding ESIMs from the band…
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won't hurt ESIM services, but allowing it in the band used for non-geostationary orbit uplinks would interfere with those uplinks, Iridium officials told a Pai staffer, according to a docket 17-95 ex parte filing posted Friday. Iridium said there isn't a satisfactory way to manage or mitigate that interference. In a separate ex parte filing in the docket also posted Friday, Inmarsat and the others repeated their assertions that the docket includes ample evidence ESIM operations won't interfere with Iridium's feeder link operations in the band (see 1804040060). The companies also pushed for allowing ESIM operations in the 28.35-28.6 GHz band, telling Pai's office they won't cause unacceptable interference to upper microwave flexible use systems (UMFUS) in the 27.5-28.35 GHz band. They said ESIM operations would be kept in check by the FCC's out-of-band emissions limits under Section 25.202, and a ViaSat analysis showed fears of ESIM interference to UMFUS operations "are unfounded." The Global Mobile Suppliers Association raised concerns about ESIM interference with UMFUS operations in the band (see 1708310004); it didn't comment Monday.