Satellite communications is expected to generate revenue of $119.05 billion between 2018 and 2025, with numerous operators moving toward low-cost global connectivity offerings, Frost and Sullivan said Tuesday. It said revenue opportunities include offering bandwidth and cost flexibility, spot beams based on downstream demand and more downstream demand extended connectivity.

With SpaceX planning to launch beginnings of its 4,425-satellite broadband constellation later this year, the company is asking for FCC International Bureau OK to set up a network of six gateway earth stations. According to the six bureau applications Thursday (for example, see here), the earth stations will relay data between the satellites and terrestrial internet exchange points, transmitting in the 14-14.5 GHz band and receiving in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band. The six are planned for locations in California, Montana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin plus two in Washington state. In a separate bureau filing Thursday, SpaceX recapped with an aide Chairman Ajit Pai about safety guarantees involving a request to modify the orbits of some satellites in the planned constellation; the company had similar eighth-floor meetings with aides to other commissioners (see 1903270021).

Pushing its ask for a modification to its existing non-geostationary orbit constellation authorization to allow 1,584 satellites orbit at 550 kilometers instead of higher (see 1811090002), SpaceX met aides to FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly, Geoffrey Starks and Jessica Rosenworcel, it said, posted Monday. SpaceX said it has improved the safety of its constellation sizably since the initial application, and it plans "a totally demisable" satellite design for subsequent iterations, reducing casualty risk to nil.

Proposed revision of direct broadcast satellite rules is an opportunity to tackle broader issues of 12 GHz band use, filers said in docket 06-160 comments this week. The FCC adopted an NPRM in November on expanding the streamlined processing procedures for geostationary fixed satellite service to DBS (see 1811130075). Replies are due April 22. The MVDDS 5G Coalition said the FCC should keep in mind potential use of the band for two-way wireless services. It urged an NPRM in response to its 2016 petition for such service in the 12 GHz band (see 1604260068). Dish Network is part of the coalition. MDS Operations and RS Access backed the petition and said the agency needs to be sure to protect multichannel video distribution and data service operations. SES supports the FCC proposals, and said once those are instituted, the agency should lift the 13-plus-year freeze on new DBS applications. It said the agency should seek input on allowing fixed satellite service downlinks to operate in the DBS allocation of the 12 GHz band. Barring that, the agency should at least make clear FSS applicants can seek authority at or near DBS plan assignments at 148 degrees, 157 degrees, 166 degrees and 175 degrees west, all vacant, SES said. DirecTV parent AT&T said if the agency lifts the freeze, it should condition that any new DBS licensees at reduced orbital spacing must coordinate with all DBS operators within six degrees instead of requiring operator consent only from affected operators as determined by ITU criteria. AT&T backs extending the license term for nonbroadcast DBS satellites to 15 years and said the agency automatically should revise the license terms of existing DBS satellites consistent with that proposal. Dish and EchoStar said DBS satellites should operate in orbital slots with less than 9 degree orbital spacing as long as such "tweener" applicants do an interference analysis and get OK of existing DBS operators with satellites located less than 9 degrees away. Dish/EchoStar said some Part 25 rules revisions the agency has made for geostationary FSS operations should also apply to DBS, such as the 15-year license term and first-come, first-served GSO application review process. They said DBS should have the same GSO milestone requirements minus the surety bond requirement. The companies said the FCC should seek comment on an aggregate interference limit that would protect DBS systems and MVDDS licensees from tweener DBS operations.

Dish and Univision reached long-term agreement for carriage on DishLatino and Dish, the companies said Tuesday. It ends a blackout over fees that began in June (see 1807020030). Restoration of Univision channels, including UniMas, Univision Deportes Network and Galavision, began immediately, they said. The companies agreed to settle all pending litigation between them. The companies aren't sharing deal length or additional terms, said a Dish spokesperson.

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act allegations against DirecTV by a California businesswoman don't include claims the direct broadcast satellite operator schemed with piracy auditing firm Signal Auditing to deceive business owners, or that Signal intended to deceive, said the DBS provider's motion to dismiss the second amended complaint posted Friday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California (in Pacer, docket 16-cv-01440). DirecTV said threatening to initiate legal proceedings isn't mail or wire fraud and the complaint doesn't allege a RICO enterprise. Named plaintiff Doneyda Perez is alleging DirecTV sells its DBS service to small businesses under residential accounts, then accuses them of pirating signals (see 1611210019). Plaintiff's counsel didn't comment Monday.

Earth-imaging company Spire is seeking FCC International Bureau OK for U.S. market access for its Luxembourg-licensed Minas low earth orbit satellites so they can become part of its FCC-licensed Lemur-2 constellation. In a bureau application Thursday, Spire said it plans to launch up to 871 Minas satellites, though Lemur-2 and Minas satellites in the Lemur-2 system won't exceed 175 at any given time. It said its intent is creating a low-cost automatic identification system and application specific messages constellation serving such markets as shipping companies, harbor operators, vessel traffic service data providers and governments. It said the Minas satellites would operate in orbits of 385 to 650 kilometers and have orbital lifetimes of at most 21.8 years.

FCC delay clearing a Hughes eligible telecom carrier application is preventing the company from launching broadband service in New York state, the New York Broadband Program Office wrote the FCC, posted Friday in docket 10-90. The office urged the FCC to “promptly approve" Hughes, which got funding through the state’s broadband auction using money from Connect America Fund Phase II turned down by Verizon. “Continued inaction on Hughes’ ETC application is inconsistent with the express terms of the NY CAF Waiver, including the requirement that New York restructure its auction to allow satellite providers to participate, and the expectations of winning bidders in the New York broadband auction,” the office said. “Continued delay ... will only harm residents in the most remote areas of New York State and would undermine the benefits of the Commission’s partnership with New York.”

Dish Network became a ProSource vendor for the company’s satellite-TV service and Sling TV streaming, said the buying group Tuesday. Dish’s new revenue-sharing program gives integrators with a “recurring monthly revenue incentive” for each “qualifying” purchased account they sign on, it said. The company's satellite subscriber losses have grown (see 1902130039).

SpaceX's planned satellite design would meet or exceed all FCC requirements for orbital debris mitigation and collision avoidance, company officials told International Bureau staffers, said a posting Monday. The satellite operator said interference red flags by OneWeb were disingenuous since SpaceX's criticized methodology is the same OneWeb has used in the past. OneWeb didn't comment Tuesday. SpaceX is seeking approval for amending Ku- and Ka-band mega constellation plans so it could have 1,584 satellites orbit at 550 kilometers instead of higher (see 1811090002).