Q3 semiconductor sales increased 11% globally from Q2 and 5.8% from the 2019 quarter to $113.6 billion, reported the Semiconductor Industry Association Friday evening. The “solid” Q3 gains reflected “normal seasonal trends and increased demand for semiconductor-enabled products, but significant market uncertainty remains due to the pandemic and other macroeconomic factors,” said SIA CEO John Neuffer. September sales to the Americas rose 20.1%.
The FCC is getting no satellite industry consensus on whether collision risk standards should be looked at on a satellite-by-satellite basis or on an aggregated basis. There was broad, though not universal, opposition to indemnification and a post-mission disposal performance bond proposals in the orbital debris Further NPRM adopted in April (see 2004230040). Docket 18-313 comments were due Friday.
The Bureau of Industry and Security should be careful not to place overly broad, unilateral export restrictions on items for crowd control reasons if the controls disproportionately hurt U.S. competitiveness, industry told BIS in comments released this month. But some commenters, including a human rights advocacy group and a Congress member, called for new export restrictions and suggested existing controls -- especially on technologies that contribute to Chinese human rights abuses -- should be tightened.
Some kind of international space traffic management (STM) rules regime is urgently needed, with as many as 120,000 satellites potentially in orbit by decade's end, but first, there needs to be better data on what's on orbit, Satellite Industry Association Policy Senior Director Therese Jones said Tuesday in a Wilson Center webinar. There's little transparency regarding DOD data, and there needs to be an open architecture data repository of not just governmental space situational awareness data, but also planned maneuvers of operators, she said. Aerospace Defense Systems Operations Vice President Jamie Morin said that given the "dramatic democratization" of space, with more countries operating there or interested, the U.S. needs to lead -- not unilaterally act -- on setting STM norms.
August semiconductor revenue reached $36.2 billion globally, up 4.9% from a year earlier and 3.6% higher than July, reported the Semiconductor Industry Association Monday. It was the seventh straight monthly year-over-year increase, “demonstrating the global market so far has remained largely insulated from ongoing global macroeconomic headwinds,” said SIA CEO John Neuffer. He cautioned there’s “still substantial uncertainty for the months ahead.” August sales into the Americas “stood out,” he said, rising 23.6% from August 2019.
August semiconductor revenue reached $36.2 billion globally, up 4.9% from a year earlier and 3.6% higher than July, reported the Semiconductor Industry Association Monday. It was the seventh straight monthly year-over-year increase, “demonstrating the global market so far has remained largely insulated from ongoing global macroeconomic headwinds,” said SIA CEO John Neuffer. He cautioned there’s “still substantial uncertainty for the months ahead.” August sales into the Americas “stood out,” he said, rising 23.6% from August 2019.
U.S. action on and funding for space traffic coordination and management are "needed now" due to the booming number of satellites expected to launch in coming years, the Satellite Industry Association said Thursday. It said there should be a framework for coordinating that space traffic, and it should be technology-agnostic on how satellite operators meet the requirements. SIA said government needs to encourage best practices, and any effective space traffic management system must be global.
The U.S. needs a clearer approach to its export control regime and should coordinate more closely with allies to counter China’s technological rise, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said, adding that the U.S. needs to better communicate to industry about the risks of doing business with China and its government-sponsored human rights abuses.
Satellite and wireless interests remain at odds over FCC International Bureau guidance for deploying earth stations in bands higher than 24 GHz, in docket 17-172 replies Wednesday. The guidance got satellite opposition and heavy lobbying (see 2008060055). The Satellite Industry Association said there's general agreement the FCC contradicted itself on the definition of roads and on contour guidance: The only voices otherwise "are a small cadre of wireless commenters [using] the Bureau’s inaccurate and unlawful 'guidance' in an effort to impede broadband deployment by competitive satellite operators." Viasat said the guidance's assertion satellite operators have to account for state road determinations when siting earth stations is unlawful and the spectrum frontiers order "left no room for interpretation or need for 'guidance.'” The company said wireless interests "are simply wrong" about Transportation Department regulations, which clearly say it's the federal government, not states, that decides which state roads are treated as highways. Amazon's Kuiper said wireless interests try to brush off the significance of guidance about roadways that earth station contours can't cross, but it's "not a small change" and the approach wireless advocates are backing "would impose a considerable burden that substantially increases the difficulty" for a fixed satellite service trying to find earth station sites. OneWeb backed SIA. Defending the guidance and urging dismissal of SIA's petition, T-Mobile said arguments it goes beyond or contradicts FCC rules ignore the agency's intent and are unreasonable in interpretation of spectrum frontiers decisions. Verizon said no SIA backers identify where the guidance is contrary to rules, instead they focus on not getting more flexibility. Wireless operators have spent billions of dollars on millimeter wave spectrum and satellite operators had the option of buying exclusive use licenses in areas where they planned earth stations, but opted not to bid, it said.
The FCC heard differing advice on rules for the 70/80/90 GHz bands in replies, which were due Friday and posted through Tuesday. Most were consistent with initial comments last month in docket 20-133 (see 2008060036) in response to a June NPRM (see 2008050058). “There is broad consensus for moving quickly to allow lower gain antennas in the 70/80 GHz band,” Nokia said. Adopt “the NPRM’s lead proposal in the 70/80 GHz band to increase the maximum beamwidth 3 dB points from 1.2 degrees to 2.2 degrees and to reduce minimum antenna gain from 43 dBi to 38 dBi,” it said: “This simple rule change will allow needed flexibility to deploy smaller, lighter backhaul antennas to facilitate 5G deployments in urban settings.” Optimize the 70 and 80 GHz bands for wireless backhaul and 5G, T-Mobile said. “The current link registration system has proven to be effective,” the carrier said: “Contrary to the suggestion by the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, there is no reason to substitute a dynamic spectrum access system.” As the record demonstrates, “the Commission should enhance the rules for the 70/80/90 GHz bands to promote additional wireless backhaul in furtherance of the Commission’s goals of expanding access to broadband and fostering the efficient use of millimeter-wave spectrum,” CTIA said. If the rules are right, the bands will offer the “critical high-speed backhaul needed to address our nation’s burgeoning demand for data in years to come,” the group said. “The record provides strong support for the adoption of updated antenna technical standards that encourage a broader range of fixed wireless uses,” the Wireless ISP Association said. The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance saw broad support for spectrum sharing. “Expeditiously authorize antennas in motion and stratospheric Internet platforms in the 70/80 GHz bands, adopt a comprehensive, technology-neutral link registration framework that accommodates all services in the bands, set a pathway toward dynamic spectrum sharing, and reject requests to delay or to restrict operation of these critical backhaul networks,” DSA said. “Expanding flexible use of the 70/80 GHz bands can benefit consumers by helping to satiate an increased demand for next-generation broadband and fixed wireless services,” Starry said. The company wants an improved link registration system “to ensure the band is put to use and not burdened by abandoned registrations.” The Satellite Industry Association disagreed, noting parts of the spectrum are allocated to fixed satellite service. “Fully consider the impact of any rule changes on FSS,” SIA said. “Address all relevant issues, including the potential impact on satellite services.” The National Radio Astronomy Observatory sought protections for radio astronomy, particularly at 81-86 GHz.