OneWeb withdrew two comments filed earlier this year on SpaceX's proposed second-generation satellite system, and SpaceX withdrew a partial petition to deny OneWeb's pending modification of its first-generation system and its second-gen application, the companies told the FCC International Bureau Thursday. They said they withdrew the filings as a result of successfully coordinating their systems. The coordination should "make further conditions on these authorizations unnecessary," they said. They urged FCC OK of the various pending applications.
Critics of O3b's pending market access grant, which would add 70 satellites to its 20-satellite medium earth orbit system, were unbowed by the company's arguments that most of their appraisals were off base (see 2207080003), per FCC International Bureau filings Tuesday. Amazon repeated its case that the FCC clarify how its rules apply to phased systems, including the interference protection those systems receive, and ensure that at minimum any expanded non-geostationary orbit system with earlier processing round status doesn't significantly increase the potential for interference. Viasat said rather than just demonstrate it meets the agency's orbital safety guidelines, O3b should need to show that grant of its application would serve the public interest such as by addressing additional sources of risk like aggregate collision risk. With O3b now asking the FCC to hold in abeyance the part of its application seeking inter-satellite links in the 19.4-19.6 GHz band, Iridium said its opposition to that part of the application need not be considered. It said O3b questioning whether the proposed links could interfere with Iridium's co-channel feeder links didn't take into account the potential for aggregate interference. OneWeb, backing O3b, said the argument by Amazon's Kuiper that since O3b wants to add satellites, the constellation should move from the 2016 processing round to the 2020 one "is contrary to Commission precedent and common sense." Systems authorized in a processing round "logically require a means by which to modify their system without forfeiting their protections; and the Commission’s rules and precedent afford them exactly that," it said.
The C-band clearing claims processing process remains problematically slow, SES officials told the FCC per a docket 18-122 ex parte post Wednesday. It said it was reimbursed for some of its submitted relocation costs, but it also is incurring financing charges from pending claims. SES told agency representatives it hopes the Relocation Payment Clearinghouse (RPC) will "improve its claims processing timeline in the near term." The FCC didn't comment. SES said its SES-20 and SES-21 C-band replacement satellites should launch in September, and SES-18 and SES-19 should be available for launch in November at the earliest. Noting AT&T's petition for reconsideration of the RPC procedures, SES said the agency should keep its current 20-day period for parties to object to RPC reimbursement decisions. "The current 20-day objection rule is clear, equitable, and advances the Commission’s goal of achieving an expeditious transition of the 3.7 GHz band," SES said. It urged the agency to make clear the burden of proof in a multiparty dispute should be on each party trying to challenge the RPC invoice. AT&T's recon petition said FCC rules don't mandate 20-day objection windows for notices of objection and such a deadline made via the public notice laying out the RPC dispute procedures isn't enough of an opportunity to comment on its merits. AT&T said the agency should clarify the 20-day period doesn't start until an objecting party knows or should know the basis for its objection. It said the burden of proof in a multi-party challenge should be with the party claiming reimbursement.
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada is adding SpaceX Starllink internet connectivity for its Dash 8-400 aircraft, the aerospace company said Tuesday. It said the agreement marks the first between Starlink and any original equipment manufacturer.
SpaceX's proposed second-generation Starlink constellation would cause interference far in excess of applicable equivalent power-flux density limits governing the system itself and also those for all non-geostationary orbit systems operating in a given band, Viasat told the FCC International Bureau Monday. It said its conclusions are based on a more-thorough analysis of SpaceX-provided EPFD data, simulating the combined effect of all second-gen satellites. An earlier Viasat analysis had raised other EPFD red flags (see 2204260002). SpaceX didn't comment. The throughput with SpaceX's first-generation Starlink constellation grows linearly the more satellites are in orbit, and its proposed second-gen satellites "are at least 5 times better (conservative estimate) than V1," CEO Elon Musk tweeted Monday. He said current Starlink bandwidth varies depending on time of day and user terminal density. "That’s why the long wait in some areas" for service, he said.
The Georgian National Communications Commission authorized SpaceX's Starlink to provide broadband service there starting July 8, the company said Thursday.
Red flags being raised about the updated orbital debris plan of Amazon's Kuiper satellite system (see 2206280010) are an attempt to hold Amazon to standards not backed by FCC rules, or otherwise raise issues better addressed in a different proceeding, Amazon told the International Bureau Tuesday. It said its modification application meets agency standards for collision risk avoidance and exceeds requirements on atmospheric re-entry. Amazon said it supports orbital separations for large constellations, but that's not required in all circumstances and shouldn't be a condition without consideration of the risk factors involved.
A ViaSat-3 payload module was delivered to Boeing's El Segundo, California, facility for integration into a Boeing spacecraft bus platform in preparation for launch, Viasat said Wednesday. The second ViaSat-3 satellite will provide broadband service over Europe, the Middle East and Africa starting in 2023, it said. Another Ka-band ViaSat-3 is undergoing final integration and testing; its focus will be on the Asia Pacific region. The inaugural ViaSat-3 satellite is expected to be launched in late summer (see 2202030070).
Virgin Atlantic will use Viasat in-flight connectivity service for its 16 new Airbus A330-900 jets, Viasat said Tuesday. It said the 16 are scheduled to start being used for U.S./U.K. intercontinental flights later this year.
Ericsson, Qualcomm and Thales will join on testing and validation of satellite-delivered 5G networks, Qualcomm said Monday. The testing goal will be validation of technology components needed to enable 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN), including a 5G smartphone, satellite payload and 5G network pieces on the ground, it said. Ericsson plans to verify a 5G virtual radio access network stack modified to handle radio signals propagating via low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, it said. Thales said it plans to verify a 5G radio satellite payload suitable for deployment on LEO satellites. Qualcomm said it will test phones verifying that 5G NTN can be accessed by future 5G smartphones.