Inmarsat-5 F2, the second Global Xpress satellite (see 1501200055), successfully completed orbital deployment, Inmarsat said in a news release Tuesday. The satellite's thermal radiator panels were deployed and the payload was switched on, Inmarsat said. The next phase is payload testing, which is expected to take three weeks, it said. Inmarsat-5 F3, the third Global Xpress satellite, is scheduled to launch before the end of Q2, which will complete a globally available Ka-band mobile broadband satellite network, it said. Inmarsat is also collaborating with Honeywell Aerospace and Kymeta on an in-flight Internet connectivity system, it said in another news release Tuesday. The companies will offer a fast, lightweight Ka-band antenna for the business and commercial aviation market, it said. Kymeta will offer its mTenna products to Honeywell, which will test and integrate them into its JetWave aviation product line, Inmarsat said.

Sling TV added HBO to its programming for $15 a month, Sling TV said in a news release Thursday. Subscribers to Sling TV's Best of Live TV core package and select Sling International programming packages can now watch HBO, it said. HBO's main live channel, a VOD library and three streams of HBO are available for Sling TV customers, it said.

LightSquared filed a transfer of control application at the FCC Monday, as expected (see 1504010016), posted in inbox 63.04. "This filing is the next step in completing the company's exit from bankruptcy," a company spokesman said. If the application is granted, it will assign spectrum licenses to a reorganized LightSquared, called New LightSquared, a satellite industry lawyer said. He said New LightSquared also filed a request for an FCC declaratory to approve the reorganized company's foreign ownership, which is about 70 percent, compared with more than 80 percent in a previous plan. The application and request for declaratory ruling are fairly standard, said Butzel Long satellite lawyer Stephen Goodman, who isn't involved in the bankruptcy. “The problem is it can introduce some delay because it means the FCC will have to coordinate with the Department of Justice and the FBI,” he said. “They require you to voluntarily enter into an agreement with them so they can review the officers and directors to make sure there’s no terrorists in the organization.” This can slow down the process, he said. The FCC wouldn't comment on the application, which has not been put out on public notice.

FCC proposed rules for terrestrial low-power service (TLPS) wouldn’t give Globalstar “exclusive operating rights within the unlicensed band segment,” the company said in an ex parte notice response to Google posted Tuesday in docket 13-213. Google raised concerns that if the commission approves Globalstar’s TLPS, it would be giving priority to the satellite operator (see 1504060025). The commission’s framework “will permit any party to use that spectrum, including for new technologies, as long as the operations meet the Part 15 rules,” Globalstar said. It said the 2473 to 2483.5 MHz band segment will "remain open to current and future Part 15-compliant services including, for example, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and innovative technologies that can better utilize this unlicensed spectrum." Unmanaged public Wi-Fi operations on Channel 14 could create interference for Globalstar’s mobile-satellite service (MSS) operations, it said. By managing TLPS, Globalstar can minimize interference to its MSS, it said. The commission should release emissions measurement results that -- like the Office of Engineering and Technology report, which was released April 2 (see 1504030047) -- don't require analyses or interpretation, Gerst Capital said in a comment posted Tuesday. The commission should also release spectrum analyzer photos for the transmit chains for all four access points used in the demos, Gerst said. Gerst called it "encouraging" to have TLPS-enabled hardware subject to formal radio frequency testing, but raised concerns that the coexistence filters on the access points weren't sufficiently tested. "I am concerned only two of the four Ruckus 7982 access points used in the TLPS demonstrations were tested," said manager of Gerst Capital Greg Gerst. "It would have been possible for Globalstar to configure the demonstrations in such a way as to avoid the coexistence filter problem without having to modify every access point, or even every transmit chain on every access point." Globalstar maintained in its comment that TLPS deployment won’t have detrimental effects on other unlicensed services at 2.4 GHz, including public Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices.

Outside Television joined Dish Network's Multi-Sport Pack of premium sports entertainment on channel 390 in a multiyear agreement, Dish said in a news release Monday. Outside Television, based on Outside magazine, is available to Dish customers through May 6 for a monthlong free preview, Dish said. Dish's Multi-Sport Pack offers more than 35 channels of analysis, in-depth coverage and live games, it said.

The FCC shouldn’t grant Globalstar “privileged” or “priority access” to the 2472 to 2483.5 MHz spectrum for its terrestrial low-power service (TLPS), Google said in an ex parte notice posted Friday in docket 13-213. Google also raised concerns that real-world operation of TLPS may “differ substantially” from the conditions that were tested at the commission. Globalstar rebuked critics of its testing conditions in recent filings (see 1503300050). “Globalstar’s request raises a basic question whether it is consistent with the public interest for a Commission licensee to leverage that permission to gain preferential use of spectrum outside the scope of its license, particularly when that other spectrum has been designated for unlicensed use on a shared basis,” Google said. Globalstar can instead ask the commission to operate an ancillary terrestrial network, like a 10 MHz time-division LTE system, on the spectrum above 2483.5, which it already has a license for, Google said. Google said Globalstar may need to submit an application for reallocation of the 2472 to 2483.5 MHz spectrum from unlicensed to exclusive use for the commission to review. Such an application isn’t necessary, said Globalstar General Counsel Barbee Ponder in an interview. “We really don’t understand why Google has at this late date decided to express any positions in the proceeding,” he said. “We think the FCC’s rules they proposed a year and a half ago are in the consumer’s best interests. The demonstrations we recently completed at the FCC show there is no harmful impact on unlicensed services.” Globalstar planned to have filed a response Monday to Google’s ex parte filing, he said.

DishWorld, a live streaming multilanguage TV service, will be called Sling International, with monthly subscriptions starting at $15, Sling TV said in a Friday news release. DishWorld customers can update to the Sling International app, which offers an updated user interface, it said. Sling International offers channels in 18 languages, including Bengali, Kannada and Marathi language groups, it said. A Sling International app will be released for Samsung smart TVs, and customers can continue to use the DishWorld app, it said. Customers can watch content on Amazon Fire TV, Android devices, Fire TV Stick, iOS devices, Mac, PC, Roku and Xbox One, Sling TV said.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) outlined the equipment used for each demonstration of Globalstar's proposed terrestrial-low power service (TLPS) (see 1503300050), in a report posted Thursday in docket 13-213. The report included setups with photos and floor plans, transmissions parameters, including equivalent isotropically radiated power and data rate, and Wi-Fi channels that operated during the demos. OET staff didn't include analysis of the demos. Each party is expected to submit its own results and analyses, OET said.

BBC Global News signed a long-term agreement to broadcast its international news channel free-to-air in HD on SES' Astra at 19.2 degrees east on a multiplex operated and uplinked by SES starting Wednesday, SES said in a news release Wednesday. The channel is an HD version of BBC World News in English, SES said. More than 47 million people watch HDTV in about 52 percent of European satellite homes, it said. SES broadcasts more than 1,800 HD channels globally and more than 500 in Europe in 2014, it said.

Dish Network, Major League Baseball and MLB Advanced Media reached a multiyear carriage agreement, including the launch of MLB Extra Innings on Dish, Dish said in a news release Tuesday. The agreement offers authenticated access to streaming sports service MLB.TV, it said. Dish and MLB Network also reached a multi-year renewal agreement for continued carriage of MLB Network and MLB Network Strike Zone, which includes digital rights for the channels on DishAnywhere.com and the Dish Anywhere app, it said. MLB Network, channel 152, will be available in Dish's America's Top 200 programming and Multi-Sport packages, and MLB Network Strike Zone, channel 153, will be available in the sport package, it said. Dish will offer a free preview of MLB Extra Innings, channel 476 on Dish's Hopper or channel 900 for other set-top-boxes, starting April 6 through 12, it said. The channel is available for $195 for 2015, Dish said.