Eleven companies filed requests with the FCC to provide varying types of satellite service ahead of a Nov. 15 deadline.
O3b; Boeing [BA]; Karousel LLC; Audacy Corp.; Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX, filing as Space Exploration Holdings LLC); Theia Holdings A.; Telesat Canada; Space Norway AS; LeoSat MA.; Kepler Communications and ViaSat [VSAT] all filed requests with the FCC. Sources told Defense Daily that the filings are not binding and that many companies could be using them as placeholders while they evaluate the business cases of their respective proposals.
Brian Weeden, technical adviser for the Secure World Foundation in Washington, said in a Nov. 16 interview that these 11 companies have concepts or ideas for new types of space satellite communications beyond standard satellite geostationary earth orbit (GEO) broadcasting television. He said the OneWeb filing started a race for other companies to file. OneWeb, on April 28, filed an application with the FCC seeking access to the United States market for a planned low earth orbit (LEO) satellite system, according to a company statement. Weeden said once OneWeb filed, the FCC opened a window for other companies to request access.
SpaceX, in its filing, is seeking operating authority for a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGSO) satellite system in the fixed-satellite service using the Ku- and Ka- frequency bands. SpaceX spokesman John Taylor declined to discuss details of the filing beyond the document, but did confirm that the filing, under Space Exploration Holdings LCC, was the company’s filing.
Of these 11 companies that filed, Boeing [BA] has submitted two filings with the FCC, according to company spokeswoman Linda Taira: a V-band filing in June and a Ka-band filing in November.
Boeing, on Nov. 15, submitted a FCC request for authority to launch and operate a NGOS satellite orbit system operating in the fixed-satellite service in the 17.8-19.3 GHz and the 19.7-20.2 GHz bands (space-to-earth). As part of its filing, Boeing also requested authority to launch and operate in the 27.6-29.1 GHz and the 29.5-30.0 GHz bands (earth-to-space) and in the mobile-satellite service in the 19.7-20.2 GHz band.
The law firm Jones Day, on behalf of Boeing, in June submitted to the FCC a written ex parte notice and associated Boeing white paper that outlined the company’s plans in this arena. Boeing is developing a NGSO system that would operate in V-band fixed-satellite service (FSS) spectrum, including the 37.5-40.0 GHz band that would provide very high data rate broadband connectivity throughout the United States and globally.
Weeden said there is a big debate taking place about spectrum that might be used for future terrestrial 5G phone networks. The federal government, he said, is looking at spectrum already being used for space for these new terrestrial networks. Weeden said the end result is a competition for spectrum among not only satellite companies but also space and terrestrial services and providers.
He said these competitors include terrestrial telecommunications heavyweights like Verizon [VZ], AT&T [T] and Comcast [CMCSA]; GEO satellite operators like Intelsat [I], Inmarsat [ISAT], SES and ViaSat [VSAT]; companies that are proposing new technology like Boeing, OneWeb and SpaceX and, finally, little-known international companies from Canada, Europe and Asia.