Given that there are “several important free trade agreements currently under negotiation,” Congress should “swiftly re-enact” Trade Promotion Authority legislation, said Semiconductor Industry Association President John Neuffer in an SIA report (here). Global sales of semiconductors reached $27.8 billion for February, a 6.7 percent increase from February 2014 but a sequential 2.7 percent decline from January this year, reflecting seasonal trends, it said. Regionally, February sales in the Americas increased 17.1 percent from last February to lead all regional markets, the SIA said.
Global sales of semiconductors reached $27.8 billion for February, a 6.7 percent increase from February 2014 but a sequential 2.7 percent decline from January this year, reflecting seasonal trends, the Semiconductor Industry Association said Monday in a report. Regionally, February sales in the Americas increased 17.1 percent from last February to lead all regional markets, the SIA said. “The global semiconductor industry maintained momentum in February, posting its 22nd straight month of year-to-year growth despite macroeconomic headwinds,” SIA President John Neuffer said. Sales of dynamic random-access memory and analog products “were particularly strong, notching double-digit growth over last February, and the Americas market achieved its largest year-to-year sales increase in 12 months,” he said. “While we are encouraged by the semiconductor market’s sustained growth over the last two years, a key driver of our industry’s continued success is free trade.” Given that there are “several important free trade agreements currently under negotiation,” he urged Congress to “swiftly re-enact” Trade Promotion Authority legislation.
Kymeta, a developer of metamaterials-based satellite antenna technology, joined the Satellite Industry Association, SIA said in a news release Tuesday.
Spectrum allocations above 24 GHz that the FCC has identified for possible wireless use “present an important opportunity to open large contiguous blocks of spectrum,” but the commission also should continue to examine bands below 24 GHz since those are the bands where 5G services “are expected to emerge first,” AT&T said in a filing posted Friday. Most other industry stakeholders also encouraged the FCC in separate filings to proceed with caution on rulemakings for spectrum above 24 GHz. The FCC, in an Oct. 17 notice of inquiry, identified six sets of bands above 24 GHz for possible wireless use: the local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) bands, the 39 GHz band, the 37/42 GHz bands, the 57-64 GHz and 64-71 GHz bands, the 71-76 GHz bands, the 81-86 GHz bands and the 24/25 GHz bands. Reply comments on the NOI were due Feb. 17.
Establishing an air-ground mobile broadband service could affect secondary service on irregular fixed-service satellite (FSS) operations, including satellite launches, said the Satellite Industry Association in an ex parte notice Thursday in FCC RM-11640. Temporary FSS operations are done under special temporary authorizations, SIA said. The commission should note in a report or order the importance of protecting temporary FSS operations and new satellite constellations from interference from secondary users, SIA said. Earlier this month, the FCC removed from circulation a draft order on establishing an ATG service over national security concerns (see 1502120054).
Establishing an air-ground mobile broadband service could affect secondary service on irregular fixed-service satellite (FSS) operations, including satellite launches, said the Satellite Industry Association in an ex parte notice Thursday in FCC RM-11640. Temporary FSS operations are done under special temporary authorizations, SIA said. The commission should note in a report or order the importance of protecting temporary FSS operations and new satellite constellations from interference from secondary users, SIA said. Earlier this month, the FCC removed from circulation a draft order on establishing an ATG service over national security concerns (see 1502120054).
Allocating 3400-3800 MHz in C-band spectrum to wireless carriers will cause interference, rain fade and other problems, satellite operators said in interviews this week and comments filed at the FCC on Agenda Item 1.1 for the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) in docket 04-286. Wireless carriers said C-band spectrum offers a chance to open up the global market.
The FCC International Bureau delayed the comment deadlines on the agency’s Fourth Satellite Competition Report, which cover the 2011-2013 calendar years. Initial comments were due Jan. 7, replies Jan. 22. The new due dates are Feb. 6 for initial comments, Feb. 23 for replies, a Tuesday notice from the bureau said. The Satellite Industry Association had requested the delay, the bureau said. “SIA maintains additional time is needed to respond because SIA and its member companies are currently working on several pending proceedings of significant concern to the satellite industry, which have pleading cycles that overlap the comment schedule established by the Public Notice.”
The Satellite Industry Association requested a 30-day deadline extension for comments in a proceeding on the annual Satellite Competition Report. SIA and its member companies are working on several pending proceedings, including items on Part 25 rules changes, use of spectrum bands above 24 GHz and the development of commission positions for the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference, it said in a filing in docket 14-229. The report comment cycle overlaps with the comment cycles of the three major proceedings, it said. SIA would like the deadline for initial comments to be Feb. 6, and for replies, Feb. 23, it said.
The Satellite Industry Association Board of Directors named Tom Stroup, previously CEO of Shared Spectrum Co., as president, the association said on Dec. 9 (here). Stroup will take over as president on Dec. 15, it said. Patricia Cooper, the previous SIA president, left in August. The SIA is a big supporter of the Obama administration’s Export Control Reform, which affects satellites.