SES has completed almost all of its Phase 1 satellite transitions, with all dual illumination of Phase 1 services expected to be done by Aug. 31, and is "on track [or] ahead of schedule" in its C-band transition plan, it said Tuesday in a docket 18-122 transition quarterly report. It said it has put in about 50% of the antennas that are part of the Phase 1 transition, and the rest will be done by Aug. 31. It said it installed filters at more than half of the Phase 1 sites. SES said all the independent earth stations associated with it that are to receive compression equipment have received it, and 96% have it installed. It said replacement satellite launch mission requirement reviews are progressing with SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. It said 93% of Phase 1 and 4% of Phase 2 service transitions on its satellites are done.
FCC allocation of the 2200-2290 MHz band for nonfederal space operations on a secondary basis takes effect July 28, says Monday’s Federal Register.
Incumbent C-band satellite operators have until July 7 to file in dockets 18-122 and 20-173 any amendments, explanations and updates to their transition plans submitted last year, said an FCC Wireless Bureau public notice Wednesday. It said satellite operators' quarterly status reports Dec. 31 and March 31 indicated some updates to their final transition plans, though the agency hasn't recognized any of those proposals.
Nokia will develop 5G base station radios, Ligado said Tuesday. Ligado says it's the first deal in North America to develop a commercial L-band offering. Ligado announced Monday the 3rd Generation Partnership Project OK'd related technical specifications (see 2106210006).
FCC and SpaceX oppositions to Viasat's requested judicial stay of SpaceX's license modification (see 2106150004) don't dispute the possibility the approval will have significant environmental impacts, only the likelihood of such harm, Viasat told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a reply Monday (in Pacer, docket 21-1123). The commission and SpaceX don't dispute "market entry by an environmentally reckless operator causes Viasat irreparable competitive harm," Viasat said, saying the irreparable harms it and the public face outweigh any harms to SpaceX.
An application earlier this month for a blanket license for fixed earth stations (see 2106090002) erroneously indicates it's a request for authority to operate earth stations in motion, SpaceX told the FCC International Bureau Monday, correcting the narrative. Dish Network said the application is vague about whether it's an ESIM application or for fixed earth stations, and it doesn't mention a waiver request although that's necessary since ESIMs aren't authorized for non-geostationary 12 GHz band orbit operations.
The FCC International Bureau updated its roster of incumbent C-band fixed satellite service earth stations for the C-band transition, said a public notice Tuesday. It issued an order in the proceeding denying Back Porch and KTBS-TV Shreveport requests for their earth stations to be granted incumbent status. The order allowed Maranatha, Cocola/Boise Telecasters, Prism and WOW Ohio to make limited corrections to their lump sum elections and said the petition for reconsideration of the Oct. 30 lump sum election PN filed by Ronan Telephone and Western Montana CommunityTel is mooted by the lump sum election accepted the following month.
With consummation of SiriusXM's buy of AT&T's wireless communications service C and D block licenses pending, SiriusXM wants to modify the license of its XM-5 satellite to operate in 2315-2320 MHz -- the C block -- and 2345-2350 MHz -- the D block -- adjacent to the SDARS band. In an FCC International Bureau application Friday, it said XM-5 would use those frequencies to provide one-way point-to-multipoint service to homeland security and public safety organizations, and would be wholly separate from its satellite radio service. It said AT&T consented to XM-5 operating in that spectrum.
The FAA will accept Air Force ground safety rules and other safety processes for commercial space activities at ranges operated by the Space Force as long as they meet FAA regulations, while the Air Force will accept the agency's licensing decisions and generally not impose its own requirements for the flight portions of a launch or reentry. That's per an FAA/Air Force agreement announced Monday aimed at alleviating regulatory burdens. The common safety standards agreement is for FAA-licensed launch and reentry activities that involve Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and California's Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Ligado and Saankhya Labs will partner on developing mobile broadcast tech for operation on Ligado's satellite network, the satellite operator said Friday.