MICROSPACE URGES FCC TO END RADAR INTERFERENCE TO VSATs
Radar detectors are causing interference to satellite operations and FCC should adopt rules to limit emissions, Microspace said in ex parte filing Thurs. Microspace joined Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) and Hughes Network Systems (HNS) in charging that interference from radar detectors was severely hurting VSAT operations. Microspace is suffering technical and financial hardships because of interference, filing said. Microspace provides satellite, video and audio broadcast services for business applications. Customers include weather information providers, financial information networks, paging carriers and others who depend on Microspace to deliver satellite services in real time.
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Commission since Oct. has been considering new rules (RM-9375; RM 10051) to limit interference from radar detectors, primarily used by motorists in cars (ET Docket O1- 278). Comment period ended in Jan. Radar detectors above 960 MHz are exempt from Part 15. Issue has become magnified in recent weeks because VSAT operators are reporting more interference.
Microspace “services have been severely interrupted” by radar detectors, filing said. Company is seeking ways to reduce interference, which it said was seriously hurting its operations. It provides services using satellites owned by Loral, PanAmSat, SES Americom. Microspace operates in full- transponder multichannel per carrier (MCPC) mode, meaning it fully saturates transponder by using maximum power and bandwidth available in single carrier, making it more susceptible to interference problems from radar detectors, filing said. MCPC mode allows downlink locations to use antennas of 0.9 m and 1.0 m.
Radar detectors should be banned, Microspace Vp-Gen. Mgr. Joseph Amor told us Fri., but that probably won’t happen because owners of detectors wouldn’t turn them in even if laws were passed to make them illegal. “You own a radar detector because you are trying to break the law,” Amor said. “Realistically, the FCC needs to get rid of the problem and reinforce the rules. This is a protected band.” Microspace discovered problem in March, but wasn’t able to confirm it until April, he said: “I'm not sure we fully understand the scope of the problem because we don’t know how many radar detectors are being sold.”
Microspace said its customer Muzak is experiencing “severe signal degradation, outages and losses of service” because of radar interference. Muzak has been unable to provide reliable service to customers at 150,000 downlink locations, Microspace said: “Failure by Commission to take action will severely impede” companies that rely on real-time satellite transmissions. Muzak has suffered interference from radars in wide range of areas, including Fla., Ill., La., N.C. and Tex., Microspace said.
Muzak downlinks are in high-risk locations with high penetration in fast-food and convenience store industries that depend heavily on automotive traffic, Microspace said. Businesses typically are located in one-story buildings, making downlink antennas very close to interfering radar detectors, filing said. When heavy automotive traffic in small parking lots is combined with close proximity of antennas, interference from radar detectors is causing satellite downlinks to chirp, cut in, skip and sometimes mute, Microspace said. In other areas, Muzak has had satellite installations that don’t work properly because businesses are located near heavily traveled highways and roadways, filing said.
Radar interference has created serious public safety risk, Microspace said. FCC should act promptly because Microspace services are “indispensable” to weather information industry and paging industry, it said. Paging companies supplying hospitals and doctors with paging services are receiving intermittent outages that mimic interference radar detectors are causing to other VSAT services, Microspace said. FAA, weather services and broadcast companies also rely on satellite services for critical information that now is being compromised, company said.
Interference from unlicensed Part 15 devices shouldn’t be issue for VSAT operators in 11.7-12.2 GHz band, company said. Microspace supports SIA proposal to protect Ku-band earth stations with strict limits that include 3-m distance for 10.7-12.2 GHz band. It also wants Part 15 emission limits above 30 MHz to apply to radar detectors, and urged FCC to order removal from operation of radar detectors that didn’t meet new emission limits.
SIA asked FCC to expedite proposal to implement certification procedure for equipment manufacturers in May 31 filing. HNS called for immediate regulation of future and existing radar detectors because of growing number of interference events in separate ex parte May 31. Commission should take urgent action to resolve VSAT interference issue, HNS said. It provides VSAT networking services at more than 40,000 gasoline retail locations in addition to financial services market, shipping and merchandising industry, law enforcement and govt. agencies.
“This is a problem that needs to be solved immediately,” said Joslyn Read, HNS asst. vp-regulatory & international affairs. She said satellite industry had “very serious concern” because emission limits for radar were far beyond power levels in Part 15 for unlicensed devices. “They need to be brought under regulations immediately,” Read said. “It’s not clear that these are unintentional radiators.”