In use for years by civil space agencies and getting interest from the earth observation industry, there's no clear picture of how soon a commercial rollout of optical satellite communications might occur. Industry participants see that imminent but industry watchers are more conservative. One aspect that makes the field attractive is the lack of FCC or ITU regulation, which is far off, we were told. "These are serious people and serious investors making this happen; they wouldn't be engaged if this was speculative," said Aerospace Vice President-Space Systems Frank Slazer.
Allowing U.S. devices to access the Galileo global navigation satellite system and a review of FCC orbital debris rules will highlight Nov. 15's meeting, Chairman Ajit Pai blogged Wednesday previewing items to be released Thursday. The FCC also will consider items on hearing-aid compatibility and cable communications with subscribers.
Sharper pencils resulted in satellite operators upping the amount of C-band spectrum that could be available for terrestrial use (see 1810220053), they told us, saying it's unlikely they will propose freeing up even more of the 3.7-4.2 GHz. A lawyer with a client involved in C-band said the additional spectrum will get the FCC's attention, and the proposal fits squarely into what the agency was believed to have wanted -- repurposing 200 MHz.
The FCC earth stations in motion rules harmonization and Further NPRM about additional frequencies for communication with geostationary satellites approved last month (see 1809260029) could help juice up satellite broadband applications and the vehicular ESIM market, experts said at an FCBA event Thursday. Inmarsat Regulatory Director Giselle Creeser said the land ESIM market has been quieter than aeronautical and maritime applications, but services including autonomous trains and long-haul trucks are likely coming up.
From issues ranging from longer time frames before non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite constellations are considered in use, to identifying the entire 47.2-50.2 band for international mobile telecommunications (IMT), terrestrial and satellite interests are pushing numerous and sometimes jousting suggestions for the World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee draft recommendations. Comments were posted this week in docket 16-185.
Univision is complaining to the FCC and FTC about -- and suing Dish Network over -- advertising by the direct broadcast satellite company featuring Univision, even though its content went dark on Dish at June's end (see 1807020030). Dish said the marketing materials were an oversight. In a letter dated Monday to the agencies' chairmen, Univision said Dish made "excuses" for its materials but continued to market Univision program services months after they were dropped and Dish should waive cancellation fees for customers who signed up since June 30 and release from contract customers who had watched the broadcaster extensively. In a docket 17-cv-05148-AJN-OTW amended answer and counterclaim (in Pacer) last week in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Univision alleged Dish did false advertising, breached a contract and infringed trademarks for advertising on its website and on flyers and the site of a Dish retailer that Dish still distributed Univision services. Dish sought unspecified damages and permanent injunction against using Univision logos and marks when it doesn't have a right to distribute that programming. Dish emailed it's "a business dispute," with Univision demanding "considerably" higher fees "despite a material decline in its overall ratings." It said when channels went dark, it tried to remove references on marketing materials and websites, but the logos of some Univision channels were inadvertently left on regarding a package and have been removed. It's providing its DishLatino customers with a $5 monthly credit, replacement content and antennas in select markets.
Some public, educational and government channel boosters worry a Supreme Court case over PEG channels could affect the status quo for such programmers. Alliance for Community Media (ACM) is among those trying to figure out the implications.
Expect an even more-heated battle over spectrum between satellite and wireless interests at next year's World Radiocommunication Conference than at past WRCs, said former Global VSAT Forum (GVF) Secretary General David Hartshorn Tuesday at the VSAT Congress. Now head of Geeks Without Frontiers, Hartshorn said 4G has been a successful technology, but satellite services are starting to complain about 4G interference in the C-band, raising questions about what effects might come from 5G. He said the C-band is interesting to wireless, but so too is the Ka-band "and watch Q and V." GVF Secretary General David Meltzer said it remains to be seen at WRC-19 what kind of ripple effect the C-band proceeding before the FCC has on other countries.
Consolidation is a satellite industry must, particularly in the earth station segment, said experts Monday at the VSAT Congress. Many urged pursuing convergence between satellite connectivity and terrestrial networks so there's a bigger audience for the huge amounts of bandwidth going into orbit in coming years. "We don't have five years" for that convergence, iDirect CEO Kevin Steen said, noting satellite data capacity is expected to grow fourteenfold by 2027. "We have to start now."
Though C-band the number of earth stations being registered with the FCC is accelerating as the window heads toward Wednesday closure, consensus among experts we talked to is that results won't dissuade the agency from freeing up some of the band for terrestrial wireless service. The FCC is starting to see that the 3.7-4.2 GHz band is more populated than the agency might have thought but now it will have a good cross-section to ensure there's needed engineering for terrestrial and satellite users "so they can play in the same sandbox," said Society of Broadcast Engineers President Jim Leifer.