SpaceX's supplemental coverage from space service (SCS) testing in the 1990-1995 MHz band is causing harmful interference to Omnispace's mobile satellite service (MSS) operations, according to Omnispace. In an FCC docket 23-65 filing posted Monday, Omnispace said co-channel emissions from SpaceX satellites are interfering with its MSS satellite receiver. It said SpaceX is operating outside its authorized parameters. "Enforcement is warranted," Omnispace said. It said medium earth orbit satellite and terrestrial antenna monitoring chronicled the interference, and showed it was due to SpaceX operations and not T-Mobile's terrestrial G-block base stations with downlink operations in the 1990-1995 MHz band. Omnispace said the interference was due to at most a pair of SpaceX test satellites, given the separation of the satellites in orbit. It said SpaceX's planned direct-to-device service at scale would cause aggregate interference hundreds of times greater, making the band unusable by other MSS operators over large swaths of the planet. Omnispace said that while SpaceX is authorized to conduct SCS testing at altitudes of 525-535 km, its observations show SpaceX doing such testing at 350-360 km. It said Space Force data also shows SpaceX operating at lower-than-authorized altitudes, which "cannot be dismissed as a mere oversight or a response to dynamic on orbit conditions." Omnispace has expressed concerns previously to the FCC about likely interference from SpaceX's SCS plans (see 2305190057). In a letter to Omnispace posted Monday in the docket, SpaceX said it was "extremely concerned" about public statements that it has empirical evidence of SpaceX interference. It asked that the evidence be put into the record. SpaceX also requested that Omnispace put into the public record evidence of service disruptions.
AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker 3 satellite has become the subject of a regulatory letter-writing campaign, with numerous filings in docket 23-65. Monday saw more than 20 posted in the FCC docket complaining about satellites impacting astronomy. Many of the letters singled out BlueWalker 3 as "so bright that it could actually damage sensitive cameras in research telescopes at its peak brightness" and said that masses of such satellites in orbit will limit astronomy. Multiple letters (for example, here) urge that the agency consider brightness in any satellite approval process. None of the letters, purportedly filed by individuals, indicates if an organization is spearheading the letter-writing work, and many contain identical or near-identical wording. AST didn't comment Monday.
The FCC Media Bureau has created two dockets associated with the draft NPRM on new requirements for low-power television stations, said a public notice Monday. Docket 24-147 is for filings on “Political Programming and Online Public File Requirements for Low Power Television Stations” and 24-148 is for “Amendment of the Commission’s Rules to Advance the Low Power Television, TV Translator and Class A Television Service,” the PN said. The draft LPTV NPRM is slated for the June 6 open meeting (see 2405160076).
The FCC Enforcement Bureau told U.S.-based voice service providers that they may stop carrying Alliant Financial's call traffic following a cease and desist letter sent Monday to Alliant regarding an illegal robocall campaign. The bureau told providers in a public notice that Alliant appeared to originate a "substantial volume of unlawful robocalls related to purported debt consolidation loans." Alliant sent "prerecorded messages claiming to be from One Street Financial, Main Street Financial, and Alliant Financial," said a news release, saying about 78 million calls were placed to consumers between Nov. 1 and Feb. 24. The bureau noted that service members, veterans and their families "face an increased risk from campaigns of this nature." EB's move was part of the bureau's "Spring Cleaning" initiative. “There are scammers who try to exploit people working to get out of debt and veterans and military families are at a higher risk for this kind of fraud,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. "We are putting these bad actors on notice that they can’t keep targeting people with this junk and taking advantage of their attempts to build a better financial future for themselves."
Viaero Wireless asked the FCC for a six-month extension of the July 27 deadline to remove, replace and dispose Chinese equipment from its network. “As a small, rural operation, we lack the financial resources to complete the project with Congress having provided only 40% of the funds needed to complete the project,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-89.
Bentina Terry, new president-CEO of Southern Linc, and other company representatives completed a round of meetings with FCC commissioners, speaking with Commissioner Nathan Simington and an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, according to a filing posted last week in various dockets. They earlier spoke with the other commissioners to discuss utilities' needs for secure communications (see 2405100015).
The National Emergency Number Association told the FCC its members have been overwhelmed by the number of notifications they are receiving under new reporting rules (see 2401250015). NENA representatives met with staff from the Public Safety Bureau, said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-89. “The volume of notifications makes the notification process unhelpful … as there are too many notifications" for public safety answering points "to make meaningful operational decisions for notifications that may or may not apply to them,” NENA said: “Notifications may cover all PSAPs for a very large area, such as multiple states, without geospatial or other information to communicate the exact scope of the notification or whether the PSAP should act on it.”
Lycamobile USA, which opposed T-Mobile’s proposed buy of Mint Mobile and other assets from Ka’ena, met with FCC officials about the buyer's alleged anticompetitive behavior. Among those who met with representatives of Lycamobile was Wireless Bureau Chief Joel Taubenblatt. Many details of the complaint were redacted from a filing, made Friday in docket 23-171. “The totality of T-Mobile’s conduct points to an attempt to lessen competition” in the mobile virtual network operator “space,” Lycamobile said: The “ultimate consequence is less competitive discipline on market participants, leading to higher prices and/or lower quality for consumers.” Lycamobile has been in a business dispute with T-Mobile (see 2404180023). T-Mobile didn't comment Monday.
The FCC's broadband data collection process has "lingering structural problems" that "plague the promise and ultimate reliability of" the national broadband map, NTCA said in a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Anna Gomez. The group said in an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 19-195 that the FCC should consider creating public heat maps, updating BDC challenge codes, making successful challenges more "sticky," improving verification efforts and technical standards, and closing a "loophole" where certain providers can "avoid submitting technical explanations for propagation assumptions." NTCA also stressed the need for "proper enforcement measures in the case of chronic overreporting of coverage."
The FCC came in 13th out of 26 midsize federal agencies in the best places to work in the federal government rankings released Monday. Its 2023 employee engagement and satisfaction score, 73.6, was almost identical to its 2022 score. The FTC ranked 9th out of midsize federal agencies, with an engagement and satisfaction score of 75.4, jumping notably from 2022's 67.3. Among subcomponent agencies, NTIA ranked 180 out of 459, with an engagement and satisfaction score increasing to 74.8, compared with 2022's 65.3. The rankings, by the Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group, largely rely on Office of Personnel Management data obtained through its Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.