XtremeSpectrum told FCC last week, before “sunshine period” closed on ultra-wideband Feb. 13 agenda meeting item, that Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) had “greatly overestimated” claims of potential interference on fixed satellite service (FSS) systems. FCC plans to vote on UWB petitions for reconsideration at Thurs. agenda meeting. AOL Time Warner, Viacom, Warner Bros. and others told Commission last week that they backed SIA petition for reconsideration, citing potential interference for C-band receive antennas (CD Feb 10 p6). XtremeSpectrum, in ex parte filing, cited problems with SIA analysis of UWB handheld devices. It said FCC’s certification process used open-air test site with equipment that maximized multipath reflections and receive antenna that was raised 1-4 meters while device rotated to find highest emission level. That allowed test lab to find “worst case” orientation and multipath level, XtremeSpectrum said. “SIA claims of increased interference potential due to multipath are without merit,” filing said. In other areas, XtremeSpectrum said SIA’s analysis incorrectly assumed common polarization type and alignment and isotropic radiation pattern from UWB device. “Correcting these assumptions reduces the predicted signal at the earth station by an average of 6 dB,” XtremeSpectrum said. It also said SIA used antenna response in its assumptions that was outdated and “not useful for interference analysis.”
In new filings on ultra-wideband (UWB), AOL Time Warner, Viacom, Warner Bros. and others said they supported petition for reconsideration by Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA). FCC plans to vote at Thurs. meeting on reconsideration of Feb. 2002 UWB rules and other pending issues. HBO, Turner Bcstg. and others raised concerns last week that emissions limits would create potential interference for C-band receive antennas (CD Feb 6 p9). Viacom urged FCC to revise emissions limits for UWB devices at 3.7-4.2 GHz to ensure they wouldn’t interfere with satellite services. Viacom owns premium and basic cable program services and 2 broadcast networks, CBS and UPN, delivered via C-band satellite capacity and received by cable operator head-ends and network affiliates using downlink antennas at 3.7-4.2 GHz. Program services include Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV. “Viacom and its cable and broadcast network affiliates literally have billions of dollars riding on the quality reception of C-band transmissions,” it said. NCTA raised similar concerns, citing recent SIA studies that said UWB devices could cause interference to reception of satellite signals in C-band frequencies. “We urge the Commission not to adopt final technical rules for UWB devices until this analysis can be done and appropriate remedies adopted,” NCTA said. Warner Bros. and WB TV network also weighed in on side of SIA. WB said SIA findings showed that peak emission limits adopted for UWB devices weren’t sufficient to protect C-band receive antennas. “Studies show that UWB devices operating at their allowed peak power densities could interfere with C-band reception at distances up to 4.4 kilometers between a UWB device and a satellite earth station,” WB said. “Given this interference potential, it is highly likely that widespread deployment of UWB devices under current technical rules would cause significant disruption to television network distribution.” AOL Time Warner also raised issue of peak emission limits and impact on C-band. “Because the C-band frequencies are used for video program distribution for nearly all other cable and broadcast television networks, it is imperative that further analysis be done, and appropriate technical revisions be made in the FCC’s UWB rules, to ensure that UWB technology can be deployed without disrupting cable service to millions of consumers,” AOL said. Separately, Siemens is seeking several minor changes in rules for its 24 GHz short-range vehicular radar system. That system provides crash detection and collision warnings. System involves pulsed frequency-hopping radar that uses “independent time and frequency multiplexing technique,” Siemens said in FCC filing. Among changes company is seeking is modification of UWB transmitter as intentional radiator that has UWB bandwidth equal to or greater than 500 MHz to allow Siemens system to occupy required 500 MHz bandwidth within 10 milliseconds.
In flurry of last-min. filings on ultra-wideband (UWB), HBO and Turner Bcstg. Systems (TBS) backed development of those systems but urged further analysis of their impact on C-band frequencies. Other satellite interests warned FCC that UWB limits it adopted last year exposed every fixed satellite service (FSS) transponder in C-band downlink spectrum “to harmful interference.” FCC received filings on UWB with expectations it would take up at Feb. 13 agenda meeting petitions for reconsideration of last year’s UWB order. PanAmSat, Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA), Loral and SES Americom raised C-band concerns Mon. “The C-band is one of the 2 principal bands used by the FSS industry and there are many billions of dollars invested in C-band space and ground station infrastructure,” filing said. FCC erred in UWB order because it took into consideration average only of UWB emissions, not peak emissions, when assessing potential interference to FSS. “An NTIA study that takes peak transmissions into account found that the emissions levels adopted by the FCC would interfere with C-band downlinks,” it said. Under FCC rules, satellite firms argued, UWB devices would have to be more than one mile from FSS earth stations to prevent harmful interference. Companies want FCC to: (1) Bar intentional UWB emissions at 3.7-4.2 GHz, step it took below 3.1 GHz to protect GPS. (2) Or reduce peak power level and create high minimum pulse repetition frequency level. SIA is among entities with petition for reconsideration pending on UWB order. HBO and TBS told FCC they used C-band frequencies that were used for program distribution as did “almost all other” cable and broadcast TV networks. “The studies submitted to the Commission by SIA demonstrate that the peak emission limits the Commission adopted for UWB devices are not sufficient to protect the thousands of C-band receive antennas deployed nationwide from harmful interference,” HBO said. Filing said widespread UWB deployment under current rules “would cause significant disruption to television network distribution” because of that interference potential. World Teleport Assn. raised similar concerns on potential C-band interference. Its members use teleports, which utilize C-band frequencies for transmission and reception and broadcast and cable TV programming, Internet data, corporate network data, paging signals.
Wireless carriers raised concerns to FCC late Mon. that “interference temperature” touted by agency’s Spectrum Policy Task Force report wasn’t yet backed up by real-world information, such as noise floor data. Responding to task force recommendation, several commenters cautioned Commission against basing spectrum allocation and policy decisions on technology advancements that hadn’t yet materialized. Among common themes that emerged in comments this week was need for more unlicensed spectrum, requirement for additional public safety bands, concern over auctioning of satellite spectrum.
Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) submitted technical analysis to FCC that it said further bolstered argument that ultra-wideband (UWB) devices would “irreparably harm” earth stations operating at 3.7-4.2 GHz. SIA has petition for reconsideration pending on UWB rules adopted in Feb. 2002. Challenge argued UWB rules would put fixed satellite services (FSS) in 4 GHz band at risk of harmful interference from UWB. In Jan. 10 filing, SIA said its latest technical analysis provided more support that UWB devices would expose such FSS systems to interference and its analysis demonstrated harmful interference would occur in every transponder across 3.7-4.2 GHz. Analysis said point of SIA study was to estimate signal level from UWB device as received by “typical” earth station at certain distance from transmitter in 4 GHz band. SIA told FCC that study found UWB device would “cause harmful interference to the receiving earth stations if the device is visible to the earth station,” especially during peak emission times. Assn. also raised concerns about aggregate interference potential from UWB devices. Analysis said harmful interference occurs not only at peak pulse period of UWB devices but also “in the interval due to multipath reflection of the UWB signal as received at the earth station.” If that were taken into account, SIA said, “the effective harmful interference interval could be many times the actual UWB peak-pulse interval.”
FCC granted part of Hughes petition for reconsideration of 18 GHz Order Tues., but denied petition by Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA). In response to Hughes petition, Commission reallocated 18.3-18.58 GHz band for primary use by fixed-satellite service (FSS) to allow blanket licensing of geostationary orbiting (GSO) FSS facilities and to migrate and reimburse relocated terrestrial fixed service (FS) incumbents in 18.3-18.58 GHz band in a timely fashion. SIA had suggested speedy relocation of fixed service (FS) incumbents should take precedence over previous “intention to provide for the growth and development of both the satellite and terrestrial services.” FCC dismissed that as without merit.
United Telecom Council (UTC) and Edison Electric Institute in recent filing round urged FCC to not adopt compromise plan until major issues such as funding are resolved on consensus proposal on 800 MHz rebanding (CD Sept 25 p4). Nextel, public safety groups and private wireless associations provided Commission with proposal for mitigating interference to public safety systems at 800 MHz. Plan would divide 800 MHz band into 2 contiguous spectrum blocks, with public safety, private wireless and specialized mobile radio licensees in one section and Nextel in another. Nextel would give up spectrum at 700, 800 and 900 MHz and receive spectrum in unlicensed PCS and mobile satellite services (MSS) bands. Before approving that proposal, UTC said FCC must address need for “adequate and guaranteed” funding of any required retuning by incumbents and “a need to encourage the implementation of advanced, more efficient technology across all of the band.” UTC urged FCC to adopt rules that would address interference through updated technical parameters and regulatory flexibility. If Commission adopts consensus plan or alternative such as blueprint offered by Motorola, critical infrastructure licensees should be able to relocate to bands other than proposed guard band at 800 MHz, UTC said. “Incumbents already on guard band frequencies should be permitted a funded migration off these frequencies and full co-channel spacing should be restored to reflect the differences in technology to be operated by public safety or other new licensees on vacated frequencies,” UTC said. In separate filing, Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) opposed part of consensus plan that would involve reallocation of 1990- 1995 MHz reserve MSS spectrum. While backers of consensus plan said that provision wouldn’t harm satellite development, SIA said it “would strike a severe blow to the 2 GHz MSS industry.” SIA argued that it would undermine FCC’s international spectrum harmonization efforts and “dramatically reduce” spectrum for MSS uplink operations.
With partial dissent by Comr. Martin, FCC gave only narrow relief to radar detector industry Wed., providing 30 more days to market devices that meet Part 15 limits on emissions in 11.7-12.2 GHz band but denying request for more time to make and sell compliant devices. Commission also turned down request by RadioShack to allow radar detectors that didn’t meet new emissions limits to be marketed for 6 months beyond original Sept. 27 deadline. FCC adopted emission limits earlier this summer to protect VSAT satellite terminals that complained they were suffering interference from radar detectors. Latest order, which FCC adopted Tues. and released Wed., said radar detector industry had failed to show its request for stay of rules wouldn’t cause substantial harm to other parties in proceeding, including VSAT operators. If marketing cutoff date had been delayed to extent sought by industry and RadioShack, FCC said “conservatively” up to 300,000 noncompliant detectors would have been sold.
Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) supports FCC efforts to improve licensing system, but is concerned some proposed changes could affect satellite operators adversely, group told Commission in presentation Aug. 14, ex parte filing said. After 30 years, advances in technology and influx of new applicants that has slowed process dramatically, Commission is studying new rules for licensing regime in pending rulemaking. SIA is particularly concerned about changes in time when more stringent export controls, overcapacity and telecom slump have been blamed for hurting U.S. satellite market. SIA sought meeting with FCC officials to discuss way new rules would be implemented. “We are still a long way off from a final decision,” Coudert Bros. satellite analyst Timothy Logue told us: “This is a very important issue.” He said satellite licensing would be major topic at International Satellite & Communications Conference and Expo in Long Beach, Cal. Tues.-Thurs.
FCC must prevent noncompliant radar detectors from being sold because they cause harmful interference to VSAT operators, Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) said in ex parte filing. Extending Commission’s Aug. 28 manufacturing and import deadline, or Sept. 27 marketing deadline, would exacerbate current problem caused by unlicensed, noncompliant radar detectors, it said, and selective product recalls were common in retailing that routinely were managed without disrupting retail businesses. Radar detector manufacturers and retailers had adequate notice of proceeding and didn’t respond to Commission’s request for comment on timeframe needed to comply with possible rules imposing radar detector emission limits, SIA said. No excuse has been provided for failing to raise those issues in timely fashion or for retailers’ failing to participate in proceeding at earlier stage, it said.