In its earth stations in motion proceeding, the FCC should ax antenna pointing accuracy requirements for effective isotropic radiated power density limits, since that would give ESIM operators the choice of avoiding interference by reducing transmitted power or by narrowing the ESIM's transmit beam width, Hughes Network Systems representatives told International Bureau staffers, according to a docket 17-95 ex parte filing Friday. Hughes said the agency should cut "unnecessary" data logging requirements such as ESIM transmission logs and aggregate its ESIM rules into one rule part.
International Launch Services launched the SSL-built AsiaSat 9 satellite into orbit Friday on an ILS Proton, it said. It was ILS' third commercial launch this year, it said. The AsiaSat satellite will provide direct-to-home, video distribution, broadband and mobility services, and replace AsiaSat 4 with multiple C-, Ka- and Ku-band payloads, it said. The satellite will orbit at 122 degrees east and serve Asia.
Globalstar and IPmotion are starting a commercial mobile satellite service, Globalstar Japan, that will offer a variety of voice, data, asset monitoring, tracking and emergency capabilities aimed at consumer, enterprise and government customers, they said Friday. They said Globalstar expects to receive type certification to sell a variety of its products in Japan in coming weeks.
After announcing a deal with Fox to deliver select NCAA college football games in 4K (see 1709210022), Dish Network continued filling its Ultra HD content palette Friday, announcing a multiroom 4K Netflix streaming via its flagship Joey set-top box. The box connected to a Dish Hopper 3 DVR can support six 4K Joey STBs, bringing the number of supported 4K TVs to seven, Dish said. Users can find 4K content, identifiable by “4K” or “UHD,” via the Netflix app on the Dish remote control or in the programming guide, it said. The 4K streaming is exclusive to Netflix since Dish doesn’t offer Amazon apps on its set-tops, a Dish spokeswoman said.
The ITU constitution is all about collective sharing and protection of spectrum, but rules on non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite systems violate those fundamentals, Thomas Choi, CEO of satellite operator ABS, blogged Friday on LinkedIn. A few companies control almost all C- and Ku-band spectrum in the geostationary arc, boxing out new operators and emerging nations, and a second round of "this spectrum imperialism" is coming with NGSO constellations, Choi said. Rules have some NGSO operators rushing to launch a handful of satellites before ITU filings expire to try to cement ITU priority to NGSO spectrum in the Ka- and Ku-bands, and the rules need to be addressed at the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19), Choi said. He said NGSO coordination is a major technical challenge and regardless of exclusivity and forced sharing issues, it's impractical that more than a few NGSO systems can share bands globally. Deep-pocketed companies from richer nations "stand to lock up the usable frequencies in the NGSO arc," and developing countries "will find themselves once again ‘locked out’ of the exclusive club of spectrum owning nations." Choi said WRC-19 regulation changes should include stipulations NGSO systems that lack landing rights in any specific country should design systems to shut off beams when they cross over nations where they lack licenses, if such requests are made by that nation.
Space & Satellite Professionals International is the new name for the former Society of Satellite Professionals, it said Thursday. It said the name change reflects an expanded mission with the satellite industry expanding into new businesses and markets. It also reflects expanded membership, it said, with companies such as Blue Origin, DigitalGlobe, Kymeta, Planet and SpaceX joining in the past year.
Raycom Media and DirecTV signed a carriage agreement that will keep Raycom's 54 stations on the direct broadcast satellite system, Raycom said Wednesday.
In-flight connectivity could be a $130 billion market globally within 20 years, representing $30 billion additional revenue for airlines by 2035, said a London School of Economics and Political Science study commissioned by Inmarsat, the company said Tuesday. It said in-flight connectivity could provide $1 billion revenue for airlines by 2018, with most coming from broadband access, with advertising, e-commerce and premium content adding to that total. It said by 2035, broadband access revenue could hit $15.9 billion, with e-commerce another $6.8 billion and ads $6 billion. The LSE study said roughly 53 of the estimated 5,000 airlines worldwide offer in-flight connectivity, but it will be ubiquitous by 2035.
Instead of including the 29.25-29.3 GHz band as spectrum available for earth stations in motion, the agency should wait until industry someday develops methods for creating exclusion zones that would protect Iridium earth stations from ESIMs, Iridium told FCC International Bureau staffers, said a filing Monday in docket 17-95. It said the exclusion zone boundary issue is complicated by the fact the location and number of geostationary orbit ESIM terminals -- especially those for earth stations aboard aircraft -- will change, sometimes constantly.
The FCC released a non-geostationary orbit satellite rules update order Wednesday, approved the previous day by the commissioners (see 1709260035). The final order was largely identical to the draft, though it also said when it comes to NGSO sharing with non-satellite platforms, the agency didn't see a basis in the record for initiating a proceeding. The FCC also said in the final order it would require NGSO fixed satellite service operators go through ITU review of their equivalent power flux density demonstrations and then provide the commission with the data files.