Satellite Industry Wants FCC to Stop UTC 14 GHz Proposal
The satellite industry came out in force urging the FCC to let die a plan by the United Telecom Council to let power companies become secondary in the 14 GHz band. The FCC asked whether UTC’s request should proceed to a rule making, and the satellite industry said no. More than a dozen companies and groups with ties to satellite filed in opposition to the request.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
UTC’s claim that its fixed wireless services “will accept all interference from [fixed satellite services] systems is unrealistic due to the emergency nature and technical specification of the proposed [critical infrastructure industries] systems,” said Hispasat. SeaMobile said that “the 14.0-14.5 GHz band is generally reserved internationally for satellite use only.”
The satellite industry was joined by Qualcomm, which told the FCC it “should not allow a promise that CII entities will use this spectrum to some indeterminate extent at some indeterminate time to serve as a pretext. As a matter of law and policy, the Commission cannot go forward with the proposal.”
The Satellite Industry Association has been meeting with FCC staff for the last several weeks trying to quash the UTC petition. In a lengthy filing SIA, continued its assault on the proposal: “Troubling for satellite users that rely on this spectrum is the virtual impossibility of ensuring that any new terrestrial operations conform to their secondary status.”
FiberTower, which provides wireless backhaul services, wants the FCC to proceed. The definition of critical infrastructure industries should be expanded, FiberTower said. “CII services should be classified to include other key public safety related communications services that the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies may identify as critical infrastructure.”
The Spectrum Management Association said there were many issues that need to be explored before UTC’s proposal could go forward. “Developing appropriate selection criteria and processes will be essential to managing the spectrum shared by incumbent users and proposed new services,” the association said.
But Southern Company said UTC’s proposal was reasonable. UTC has “suggested a number of licensing, technical and operational restrictions that would permit CII use of this spectrum on a secondary basis without threat of harmful interference to primary licensed services,” Southern said. UTC “has addressed the protection issues in detail,” said the Fixed Wireless Communications Council. UTC said “a full record is needed to explore the potential benefits” of its proposal.