Talks with Ligado about its plans for bands adjacent to global navigation satellite system (GNSS) spectrum led to Hexagon Positioning Intelligence developing technology to mitigate intentional or unintentional interference in the GNSS band, Hexagon President Michael Ritter said in a docket 11-109 filing posted Monday. He said independent of whatever Ligado plans, GPS device makers need to continually refine their devices and receivers to combat interference, and GPS receivers incorporating interference mitigation technology are more resilient against multiple sources of interference, including adjacent band operations and thus better serve the public. Hexagon is an OEM of positioning receivers, antennas and subsystems, according to its website.

An FCC International Bureau inquiry into an unauthorized satellite launch (see 1803200003) is done, with the results referred to the Enforcement Bureau, an FCC spokesman said. He didn't comment on the timing of when or if the bureau might act, but said bureau options could include bringing fines or soliciting issuance of a notice of apparent liability. The unauthorized launch by IoT connectivity startup Swarm was one motivator when the FCC issued an enforcement advisory on satellite licensing requirements last month (see 1804130010). Swarm didn't comment.

Intelsat 5, moving now from 157.1 degrees west to 93.2 degrees west, might head instead to 137 degrees west. In an International Bureau application Tuesday, the company said the reassignment of C-band frequencies at 137 degrees west recently made available by the FCC opens new opportunities for the satellite. It said it will seek special temporary authority to drift the satellite to 137 degrees west and operate it there. It said that drift should happen later this month.

SiriusXM plans to replace two satellites in its five-satellite satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) constellation over the next two years. In FCC International Bureau applications Monday (see here and here), the company said it hopes to launch SXM-7 in late 2019, becoming operational in early 2020, and to launch SXM-8 in mid-2020. SXM-7 would replace XM-3 at 85.15 degrees west, and SXM-8 would replace XM-4 at 115.25 degrees west. The satellite radio service wants authority to do in-orbit testing of each satellite at 120 degrees west before drifting them to their orbital slots. The satellites would also be equipped with a test beam payload with a coverage area outside the company's SDARS service area, with those payloads used to test new waveforms and ground user terminals. XM-3 and XM-4 would remain in their current orbital locations as spares until retired or relocated. The company's constellation also includes FM-5 at 86.15 degrees west, FM-6 at 116.15 degrees west and XM-5, an in-orbit spare at 85.15 degrees west.

Having affiliated parties like SOM1101 and OneWeb control two non-geostationary orbit systems in a processing round would distort competition broadly and lessen the likelihood of successful sharing spectrum negotiations among satellite operators, SpaceX representatives told aides to FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel. A filing Monday said SpaceX said the two companies haven't backed up claims OneWeb Chairman/SOM1101 principal Greg Wyler is somehow uniquely situated to take over the Boeing NGSO applications over other investors who don't have competing applications. That Wyler is also an investor in EarthNow -- which said it plans real-time continuous video of most of the planet via an earth imaging constellation -- raises questions about "the wherewithal necessary" to execute on any of these projects, SpaceX said. The company said even if the FCC waives its multiple-ownership rule, the change in applicant constitutes a major modification under Section 25.116(b) of agency rules on amendments to satellite applications, and thus should be considered under a separate processing round. SOM1101 outside counsel and Boeing didn't comment Tuesday. SpaceX has been among a number of satellite operators opposing transfer of Boeing NGSO applications to SOM1101 (see 1803230004 and 1802130019).

Clearing 100 MHz of C-band spectrum will require modifications to the Intelsat and SES networks, and to their customers' networks, Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler said in an earnings call Tuesday. He said the modifications will include additional equipment at downlink earth stations, relocating some facilities or changes to the configurations of satellites. He said the company has been lobbying Capitol Hill on the C-band plan, and FCC representatives it's met showed an interest in the proposal. He said satellite has a big potential role in 5G deployment, given the time such services will take to reach remote or rural areas. He said capital expenditures should start tapering down as the company comes to the end of its Epic network deployment, with its Horizons 3e satellite to be launched later this year, and the upcoming replacement of this North American Galaxy satellites to be done by smaller, cheaper satellites. An NPRM on the satellite companies' midband plan is expected by some this summer (see 1804200003).

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology renewed SiriusXM's experimental license for testing new types of low-power terrestrial repeaters the company hopes will mitigate interference subscribers suffer due to wireless transmissions. The company said the interference comes from base stations operating on advanced wireless services spectrum and personal communications service spectrum and by operations in the adjacent wireless communications service band. It said the repeaters are in midtown Manhattan and New Jersey, it identified other AWS/PCS interference areas where testing should occur, and it's negotiating leases to install four more experimental repeaters at those sites in and around Manhattan. That testing is to start by year's end, the company said, saying leases are under negotiation for repeater testing in Los Angeles and San Francisco. SiriusXM said it expects to request authority to expand the geographic scope of its experimental license, and once testing is done it hopes to authorize nationwide, long-term use of terrestrial repeaters to be located near or at WCS, PCS and AWS transmitters that are or could be creating interference.

Citing the higher cash offer from Comcast (see 1804250026), Sky's independent committee withdrew its recommendation of the Fox takeover offer and terminated the cooperation agreement with Fox, it said Wednesday. It said Comcast's voluntary commitments for Sky News "should comprehensively address any potential public interest concerns." Fox said it "remains committed to its recommended cash offer for Sky ... and is currently considering its options."

Satellite operators can have a significant role in 5G by augmenting mobile networks with satellite capabilities, GlobalData said Wednesday. It said high latency and lower reliability than fiber and DSL options have kept satellite as a provider of last resort for 3G and LTE networks, covering only rural areas. But high-throughput satellites are being built on open architectures, making them more flexible and easier to integrate into 5G, it said.

With new apps and web player giving SiriusXM subscribers access through smartphones, smart TVs and smart speakers, “it’s never been easier to enjoy SiriusXM outside the car,” said CEO Jim Meyer on a Wednesday earnings call. The company is “building the resources to focus on acquiring streaming-only subscribers,” he said. Such additions “will invariably be small compared to subs generated from our 20-million-plus annual vehicle trial funnel,” he said. “If we are successful, they still could meaningfully bend our long-term subscriber-growth arc.” Though competitors were successful in expanding subscriptions through a “streaming-only offering,” SiriusXM hasn’t “really been able to do what I wanted to do, technically, until recently,” in the streaming space, said Meyer. President-Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein sees “lots of opportunities” for video. He said it's "complementary to our audio, and it will stay that way, but there are obviously assets that come to mind that would be valuable in video, in short-form video, with very little expense to put them out" a la what's coming from Sirius host Howard Stern.