Iridium Opposes O3b Seeking to Offer MSS in Additional Bands
Allowing O3b to modify its market access grant to provide mobile satellite service (MSS) in the 19.7-20.2 and 29.5-30 GHz bands would "make a mockery" of the FCC's satellite licensing process, Iridium representatives told aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel, according to an ex parte filing Tuesday. It said at most, the FCC should give O3b access only to parts of MSS feeder-link bands that include an allocation for non-geostationary fixed satellite service, namely the 19.3-19.4 GHz and 19.6-19.7 GHz bands. It said the FCC's Ka-band plan currently prohibits O3b from providing MSS in the spectrum it wants to use and the agency hasn't looked at what effects MSS operations might have in that spectrum. Thus O3b should petition the FCC for a rulemaking on changes to the Ka-band plan rather than be granted a waiver that would essentially be an "unstudied change in rules." O3b outside counsel didn't comment Wednesday. The O3b draft order is on the June agenda (see 1805160051).