Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler, meeting with FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, backed issuing an NPRM based on the company's joint proposal with Intel for opening parts of the C-band to terrestrial 5G operations (see 1710020047), said a docket 17-183 filing posted Tuesday. Intelsat, along with Intel, also talked with Chairman Ajit Pai's office (see 1712040062).

Promotion of space commerce through simplifying and updating regulations for commercial space activity is a Trump administration goal in Monday's U.S. national security strategy (see 1712180071). It said government, as it partners with commercial space capabilities to improve resiliency, will consider extending national security protections to such operators "as needed."

The ITU adopted major technical principles of satellite-based enhanced aircraft automatic dependent surveillance for tracking flights, it said Tuesday. It said the technical principles would support implementation of reception of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast via satellite and mark "a major step" in implementation of an International Civil Aviation Organization global aeronautical distress and safety system.

Iridium is trying to have it both ways on interoperability -- or lack thereof -- with Ligado, Ligado said in an RM-11681 FCC ex parte filing posted Monday on meeting International Bureau staffers including Chief Tom Sullivan. It said Iridium complains that Ligado's requested license modification for a broadband terrestrial wireless network would interfere with Iridium terminals but claims its new Certus receivers tied to its Next constellation (see 1704140008) can coexist with any adjacent operator following FCC out-of-band emissions (OOBE) limits. Ligado said its ancillary terrestrial component broadband operations for which it's seeking the license modification would produce OOBE at levels below the limits. Ligado said Iridium is inconsistent in claiming both that its Certus receivers generally wouldn't operate near GPS users and that its terminals are used in a variety of urban and suburban areas. Ligado said the bureau should resolve such inconsistencies before acting on Certus authorization. Iridium didn't comment Tuesday. It previously criticized Ligado's terrestrial plans and interference (see 1708040029 and 1709260048).

Fewer than half smallsat systems in development will likely launch, Northern Sky Research said Monday. An estimated 5,000 smallsats will launch within the next decade, driving a cumulative $25 billion in manufacturing and launch services, NSR said. It said 70 percent of the smallsats will come in constellations, and North America and Asia are the largest near-term opportunities, given their developed satellite ecosystems and growth prospects in communications, earth observation and science applications. The researcher said more than 300 smallsats were launched in 2017 and several new systems began deployment.

Ligado wants to extend the license term for MSAT-2 for a year, through Dec. 1. In an FCC International Bureau filing Friday, it said most MSAT-2 customers have been transitioned to its replacement, SkyTerra 1, but some customers still receiving service via MSAT-2 asked that Ligado continue to provide that. The company said at conclusion of the extension there will be enough fuel on MSAT-2 for deorbiting maneuvers.

A potential change to orbital debris mitigation rules by the FAA was included in the Trump administration's unified agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions released last week (see 1712140057). The debris NPRM proposes to more closely align FAA rules with U.S. government orbital debris mitigation standard practices, and would update current launch collision avoidance rules to match U.S. Strategic Command practices. The unified agenda also included an NPRM to clarify and streamline commercial space transportation rules, allowing specified preflight operations before license approval; to remove "obsolete, non-functional, and in some cases duplicative" ground safety regulations; and expand the term of a reusable launch vehicle license and re-entry operator license from two years to five years. It also included an NPRM codifying statutory requirements mandated by the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act such as updating definitions relating to commercial space launch and re-entry vehicles and occupants. The agency said it would enable commercial space applicants to retain experimental permits despite issuance of licenses. And the agenda included an NPRM on alignment of FAA commercial space requirements for protecting ships during launches or re-entries with Air Force practices.

Updated FCC rules for non-geostationary orbit satellite constellations adopted in September (see 1709260035) take effect Jan. 18, said a notice to be published in Monday's Federal Register. It said certain rules amendments that require data collection have to first be approved by the Office of Management and Budget, with those amendments' effective dates to be published later.

SiriusXM could face materially higher copyright expenses after Thursday's Copyright Royalty Board determination of a 41 percent hike, the company said in an SEC filing Friday. It said it's still evaluating the CRB terms and rates announced, and it anticipates evaluating changes in pricing. It said the determination likely will mean higher aggregate royalty expenses annually starting next year. SiriusXM said it will have to pay a royalty of 15.5 percent of gross revenue, subject to exclusions and adjustments, for the five years ending Dec. 31, 2022, up from its current 11 percent. The company didn't comment further. SoundExchange said CRB didn't adopt the rates it advocated, but the ruling "demonstrates an important step in the right direction toward valuing the contributions of the music creators." It said the decision reinforces the need to amend the Copyright Act Section 801(b) rate standards for satellite radio and some cable radio services. American Federation of Musicians said the rate increase is welcome, but "our broken copyright system still allows this wildly profitable company to underpay for recorded music based on a below-market standard." SiriusXM shares closed down 5.1 percent at $5.37.

ViaSat opened offices in Austin, Seattle and Amsterdam, the latter as it seeks international work and each with technical and engineering specializations that include security engineering, software and cloud functions, it said Thursday.