Though OneWeb's red flags about SpaceX's proposed modification to its non-geostationary orbit constellation (see 1904030012) are misguided, SpaceX in an International Bureau posting said it's providing more analysis to show the modification poses no increased interference risk. It said it's not planning hundreds of Ku-band gateways, but only six (see 1903290003), and fewer than 75 satellites will use that band for gateway operations. And it said if OneWeb wants the FCC to act contemporaneously on its own license modification application, it should have to do the same analyses it's demanding SpaceX do. "SpaceX continues to hope no one will notice that its proposed license modification will cause significant interference to other operators," OneWeb said, saying it "has noticed, and is pointing it out in its multiple submissions to the Commission and will continue to do so." It said in a real-world operating environment, SpaceX's proposed modifications will increase interference to it and other co-frequency non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite services.

The FCC expanding its unified satellite/earth station licensing proposal and pushback against a 60-day "cure period" for fixing applications were among satellite operators' suggestions and proposed tweaks filed in docket 18-314 comments this week. Replies on the Part 25 rules streamlining NPRM were due Tuesday. A proposal about allowing applicants to fix errors or omissions was also controversial in initial comments (see 1903190010). Earth station and satellite buildout deadlines need to be aligned, ViaSat said. But it disagreed on removing emission designators from earth station licenses, with applicants having to identify only carrier bandwidth, and on loosening the east-west station-keeping requirements. Iridium said it disagreed with adoption of out-of-band-emission interference protection levels for radio astronomy services across various frequency bands. Intelsat said the FCC's first-come, first-served licensing system policy could face problems in the form of two-month delays in application reviews if the agency adopts a 60-day "cure period" allowing applicants to correct errors or omissions in that time frame after an FCC request. The FCC needs to go further in unified earth station/satellite licensing, creating a unified approach for non-geostationary and geostationary orbit (GSO) satellites without limits on the relevant frequencies, SES/O3b said. It also backed allowing GSO satellites to operate within 0.1 degrees of their assigned orbital longitudes. On unified satellite/earth station licenses, the FCC needs safeguards "to prevent warehousing or preclusion of earth station operations" in bands with earth station deployment limits, Eutelsat said. It also said application of regulator fees on non-U.S.-licensed operators seeking U.S. market access is baseless.

The impending deployments of mega constellations with inter-satellite links will be the big driver of the optical satellite communications market over the next decade, with space-based laser communication equipment expected to take in close to $4 billion revenue between 2018 and 2028, Northern Sky Research said Tuesday. It said use of inter-satellite laser links by such proposed constellations as SpaceX's Starlink and Telesat's could mean demand for space-to-space communications terminals top 10,000 units by 2028. It said there also could be a niche market in data downlinks, though first there needs to be evolution of the communications infrastructure on the ground segment.

Comments are due June 14 on the FAA's proposed consolidation and streamlining of its launch and re-entry regulations, said an NPRM in Monday's Federal Register. Included in the proposal, the FAA said it will maintain the current requirements on RF management and expand them to include reusable launch vehicles and re-entry vehicles, but it will eliminate the requirement of implementing a frequency management plan. The FAA also proposes modifying its relationship with the FCC and other agencies, and, instead of saying it doesn't review payloads subject to review by the FCC or Commerce Department, making clear it reviews the payloads to determine their effect on overall launch safety.

OneWeb CEO Adrian Steckel had a series of eighth-floor meetings last week to discuss the company's concerns with SpaceX's ask to modify its license to allow nearly 1,500 satellites to relocate from 1,150 km to 550 km (see 1811090002). In an International Bureau ex parte posting Friday, OneWeb said that before the FCC processes the application, it should make SpaceX demonstrate it won't cause more interference to OneWeb or others. It said SpaceX's simulation methodology so far has been "problematic and unrealistic" when it comes to interference. It said that the modification application is causing "serious procedural disruption" to the agency's Ka- and Ku-band processing round and that SpaceX's proposed use of the Ku band for feeder links as well as service links is creating considerable RF interference worries. OneWeb also repeated a request that its own modification application pending at the FCC be acted on at the same time as SpaceX's (see 1904030012). Steckel met with Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel and aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. SpaceX didn't comment Monday.

Intelsat wants to temporarily add 3625-3700 MHz and 5850-5925 MHz to Intelsat 901's approved operational frequencies so it can provide additional capacity from its orbit at 29.5 degrees west. In an FCC International Bureau application Thursday, Intelsat said it expects the operations to last about five months. Later this year, Intelsat 904 will replace 901 at that orbital slot, and 901 will be redeployed, it said. The company said 904 should be there in five months, and that it will ask for a permanent modification allowing 36250-3700 MHz and 5850-5925 MHz operations at 29.5 degrees west.

Commissioners Mike O'Rielly, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks all pushed back against Commerce Department suggestions regarding the orbital debris proceeding (see 1904080033). After Friday's agency meeting, O'Rielly said he was "troubled" by the Commerce notion the FCC should pause its proceeding given that Commerce hasn't made any proposal to move forward on its own. Rosenworcel said she was concerned about the idea that the FCC, with authority over commercial spectrum and commercial actors, cede that authority to Commerce, which oversees federal actors. "The space age is big enough to accommodate both" and the FCC "should be sitting in the front" instead of "letting others take the lead," she said. Echoed Starks, "We have a congressional and statutory mandate to be in this lane" and the agency needs to address the issues in the fashion Congress tasked it with doing. Commissioner Brendan Carr said he hadn't read the Commerce filing. Chairman Ajit Pai's office didn't comment.

Last year marked a record for investment in space startups, with $3.2 billion from venture capital and angel investors, Bryce Space and Technology said Thursday. Since 2000, space startups have attracted close to $21.8 billion, with activity particularly intense since 2015, it said. In the early 2000s, an average of four funded space companies started per year, and in the past six years the number has averaged 21 annually, it said. Last year's activity was driven largely by big investments in SpaceX and Blue origin, it said, saying more investment growth is expected this year. U.S. companies receive about 80 percent of overall startup space investment, and companies in China and the U.K. received most of the non-U.S. investment, it said. Roughly half of the space startup investment was from non-U.S. sources, it said. Separately, the Space Foundation said U.S. federal investment in space rose 10 percent in 2018. NASA's $20.74 billion budget and DOD's $24.53 billion in space spending was the vast bulk of the overall $48.31 billion. The foundation said globally, governments spent $77.22 billion on space.

While flying to the NAB Show in Las Vegas, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr was lobbied by Intelsat about the status of the C-band clearing proceeding and technical difficulties of clearing more spectrum in cities compared with rural areas, relayed a docket 18-122 ex parte posting Thursday. Intelsat said it also had a conversation with Chairman Ajit Pai about the status of the spectrum-clearing proceeding, while at the show. NAB emphasized in its meeting with Pai there that the band's incumbent users need protection and that any spectrum reallocation needs to fully fund costs of accommodating existing C-band users. In a public notice Thursday, the International and Wireless bureaus and Office of Engineering and Technology said May 28 is the filing deadline for earth station and satellite operators to submit data about C-band use. That data collection was part of July's C-band order (see 1807120037).

ViaSat unveiled its Business Hotspots service targeting small and mid-sized businesses wanting to offer free, in-store Wi-Fi to customers. It said Tuesday the hot spot service, starting at $40 monthly, partitions the business' internet operations from customer activity, with two networks from one internet connection.