FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said he would back reconsideration of the FCC's Connect America Fund Phase II bid weights decision (see 1702230019) since it "seem[ed] to intentionally favor fiber over wireless and satellite" in setting the weights for determining winning bids. At Monday's Satellite Industry Association (SIA) dinner, O'Rielly said he was "more than disturbed" with the ruling and though there's logic to setting quality and speed goals, favoring particular technologies "does not comply with our obligation to serve as many of the unserved as possible within our budget," according to the released text. He previously raised the idea of reconsideration at the FCC's February vote. At the SIA event, O'Rielly also criticized some spectrum frontiers decisions, calling them "best guesses ... destined to be raised on reconsideration." He said the earth station siting requirements in the 28 and 39 GHz bands didn't make sense. O'Rielly also was critical of the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) decision to block study of the 28 GHz band, saying "we should consider as many bands as possible for potential commercial wireless and satellite use, with the understanding that some bands may not be suitable for sharing." Pointing to WRC-19 agenda items 1.13 about terrestrial use and 1.6 about regulatory frameworks for non-geostationary satellite systems in the same frequency band, O'Rielly said, "I am sure there are heated debates to come, but studies need to be encouraged, not stymied, to inform how spectrum can be shared and to help regulators -- both here and abroad -- adopt sound spectrum policy."
Trade groups called for simplification of the tariff schedule and alignment of free trade agreements, in recent comments to the International Trade Commission. The complicated provisions of Chapter 64 create perverse incentives for shoe designers, the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) said. Misaligned free trade agreements cause importers not to use trade programs, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) said. And differences between how countries classify semiconductors creates a compliance burden for semiconductor importers, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said. The comments were submitted for an annual ITC report on import restraints (see 1610120051).
Any move to give co-primary regulatory status to federal government earth stations communicating with commercial satellites should make clear they're subject to the same procedural, coordination and technical rules as commercial licensees, the Satellite Industry Association said in a series of meetings with FCC eighth-floor staffers. In ex parte filings posted Tuesday in docket 13-115, SIA recapped meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and to Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Mignon Clyburn (see here, here and here) at which it said any action on NTIA's urging the FCC move on its 2013 space policy rulemaking (see 1610040019) needs to include language in the U.S. table of frequency allocations stating primary federal allocations for fixed satellite service is for earth stations only. SIA said the FCC should make clear it has exclusive regulatory jurisdiction over the co-primary allocations and that shared NTIA jurisdiction doesn't apply to processing of earth station applications. EchoStar also urged federal earth station operations be subject to the same requirements as commercial earth stations and that the FCC reject NTIA-proposed exemptions (see 1610140055). Representatives from SIA, SpaceX, O3b, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and EchoStar attended the meetings.
Aerospace joined the Satellite Industry Association as an affiliate member, SIA said in a news release Monday. The trade group launched its affiliate membership category in 2015, aimed at companies and groups previously not eligible for membership.
With some satellite providers having pending and forthcoming satellite and ground station license requests, the FCC should within the next 90 days issue a public notice on earth station siting and open a docket about potential aggregation interference into satellites, said the Satellite Industry Association in an ex parte meeting this week. SIA said the proposed PN about rules for siting in the 28 GHz and 37/39 GHz bands and methodology for figuring out interference zones comes as the FCC already has said it needs to refine the existing earth station requirements put forward in the spectrum frontiers report and order. It said opening a docket about aggregate interference from upper microwave fixed use services (UMFUS) in the 28 GHz bands would allow filling out the record on such issues as planned UMFUS operations and sharing approaches to protect current and future satellite operations. An ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 14-177 recapped a meeting between Commissioner Ajit Pai aide Brendan Carr and representatives of SIA, SpaceX and EchoStar.
Fixed wireless and satellite interests are starting to square off over suggested FCC earth station licensing rules changes in the 3700-4200 MHz band being pushed by the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition (FWCC), as expected (see 1612270034). In comments in RM-11778, satellite interests labeled the FWCC petition as a rehash and "deja vu all over again." Wireless interests not only backed FWCC's proposal but also suggested expanding the scope of the proceeding to other sharing matters.
Atlanta attorney Carolyn Roddy was added to the Trump transition's FCC landing team, according to its landing team roster, which is updated periodically. Roddy, who has FCC and telecom industry experience, is an adjunct professor at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School and a board member of the Georgia Technology Authority, which manages delivery of IT services to state and local government agencies and entities.
Atlanta attorney Carolyn Roddy was added to the Trump transition's FCC landing team, according to its landing team roster, which is updated periodically. Roddy, who has FCC and telecom industry experience, is an adjunct professor at Atlanta's John Marshall Law School and a board member of the Georgia Technology Authority, which manages delivery of IT services to state and local government agencies and entities.
The July spectrum frontiers order opening high-frequency bands to 5G needs to go back to the drawing board, said the satellite industry and multiple individual satellite operators in a series of reconsideration petitions in docket 14-177. Multiple filers pushed in particular for the FCC to give fixed satellite service (FSS) downlink spectrum in the 42 GHz band and for less stringent rules on locating earth stations. Also last week, wireless interests had sought changes to the order (see 1612150067).
The satellite industry is shoving back on wireless industry arguments against Boeing's plans for 2,900-plus V-band satellite constellation. "Authorizing V-band service does not require the Commission to choose between terrestrial and satellite services," the company said in an International Bureau filing Monday, taking aim at various wireless interest arguments that Boeing's proposed satellite constellation would hamper V-band use for 5G (see 1612020002). Satellite Industry Association said wireless arguments that the spectrum frontiers proceeding should supersede Boeing's application are flawed since the agency isn't required to complete more work on the frontiers before the bureau takes substantive action on the Boeing request.