Not all industry interests are pleased with provisions in the Mobile Now spectrum package from Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. He unveiled a revamped draft Friday, less than a week before its scheduled 11 a.m. Wednesday markup. The satellite industry is leading the charge against language that would force the FCC to complete an inquiry within three years of enactment on whether and how the agency should apply rules for sharing from the 3550-3650 MHz bands to the 3700-4200 MHz bands.

CTIA and the Satellite Industry Association clashed on protections for satellite operators in the 3.5 GHz band as the band is converted to a shared use regime. The commission approved an order creating the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the 3550-3700 MHz band at its April meeting, but parts are still being debated (see 1504170055). In the latest development, various commenters offered their take on petitions for reconsideration challenging aspects of the agency’s rules. Comments were posted Friday in docket 12-354.

CTIA and the Satellite Industry Association clashed on protections for satellite operators in the 3.5 GHz band as the band is converted to a shared use regime. The commission approved an order creating the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the 3550-3700 MHz band at its April meeting, but parts are still being debated (see 1504170055). In the latest development, various commenters offered their take on petitions for reconsideration challenging aspects of the agency’s rules. Comments were posted Friday in docket 12-354.

Wireless industry and tech companies rallied behind CTIA’s push for revised FCC rules for the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band. The Satellite Industry Association opposed many of the changes sought by CTIA and others, saying they pose an interference risk to fixed satellite service earth station use of the spectrum (see 1510200061). Wireless industry commenters said the changes are necessary to make use of the band viable.

Wireless industry and tech companies rallied behind CTIA’s push for revised FCC rules for the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band. The Satellite Industry Association opposed many of the changes sought by CTIA and others, saying they pose an interference risk to fixed satellite service earth station use of the spectrum (see 1510200061). Wireless industry commenters said the changes are necessary to make use of the band viable.

Wireless industry and tech companies rallied behind CTIA’s push for revised FCC rules for the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band. The Satellite Industry Association opposed many of the changes sought by CTIA and others, saying they pose an interference risk to fixed satellite service earth station use of the spectrum (see 1510200061). Wireless industry commenters said the changes are necessary to make use of the band viable.

Relaxed legal out-of-band emissions (OOBE) rules, higher power levels and unlimited antenna heights open the door to more fixed satellite service (FSS) earth station interference and should be rejected, the Satellite Industry Association said in filing posted Tuesday in opposition to a CTIA petition for reconsideration of FCC rules on the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band. Instead, stricter citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) limits are needed to avoid "a significant increase" of more than 11 km in the protection distance needed between CBRS devices and FSS earth stations, SIA said in a filing in docket 12-354. While both CTIA and Nokia have pushed for greater emissions limits, "neither provides an adequate rationale," with CTIA itself arguing for more stringent OOBE limits "when its own members' operations could be the victims of unwanted emissions," SIA said. The satellite group also rejected the idea of changing the metric for OOBE limit compliance from average power measurements to a peak detector, because that would "undermine the prophylactic objectives of the OOBE limits." Similarly, a higher maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and an eliminating of the antenna height limit for nonrural Category B citizens broadband radio service devices (CBSDs) will also "substantially increase the separation distances" needed to protect FSS from interference. Petitioners pushing for such higher EIRPs "fail to even acknowledge these trade offs," SIA said. But SIA said some areas of the FCC order should be reconsidered, such as the 60-second delay allowed for a CBSD to end transmission, lower its power or relocate to another channel, since even 60 seconds "could have significant adverse effects on FSS operations, including the potential to undermine safe satellite operations," SIA said. The FCC also should put in place a geolocation requirement to give reliable CBSD location information and "abandon the idea of relying on 'professional' installers to ensure the accuracy," the group said.

The Satellite Industry Association is urging Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Without it, SIA President Tom Stroup said in a statement Tuesday, "U.S. commercial satellite manufacturers are increasingly uncompetitive in a global marketplace where foreign buyers account for roughly 75 percent of all commercial satellite sales." Numerous satellite companies have complained about loss of Ex-Im in recent weeks (see 1509210026). According to SIA, since the bank's virtual shutdown July 1, U.S. companies have seen at least three commercial satellite orders withdrawn and the U.S. has not been able to take part in some other competitions. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Stroup said. "In the highly competitive commercial satellite manufacturing market, support from export credit agencies (ECAs) can be the difference between the winning proposal and a competitive one. And in some cases, ECA support is a required component of the proposal. The longer the Ex-Im Bank remains closed, the greater the damage will be to U.S. satellite manufacturers and the hundreds of local businesses that supply them."

The Satellite Industry Association is urging Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Without it, "U.S. commercial satellite manufacturers are increasingly uncompetitive in a global marketplace where foreign buyers account for roughly 75 percent of all commercial satellite sales," said SIA President Tom Stroup in a statement (here). According to SIA, since its virtual shutdown July 1, U.S. companies have seen at least three commercial satellite orders withdrawn and not been able to take part in a number of other competitions. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Stroup said. "In the highly competitive commercial satellite manufacturing market, support from export credit agencies (ECAs) can be the difference between the winning proposal and a competitive one. And in some cases, ECA support is a required component of the proposal. The longer the Ex-Im Bank remains closed, the greater the damage will be to U.S. satellite manufacturers and the hundreds of local businesses that supply them."

The FCC should take a new look at service designations in the 27.5-38.35 GHz band because technology and market changes have shown that satellite operators deserve co-primary status there, said the Satellite Industry Association in a filing posted Monday in docket 14-177. That co-primary designation "would provide satellite operators much-needed certainty that their investments in significant earth station facilities will be protected against the impacts of terrestrial operations in the band," SIA said. With the FCC looking at modifying the parameters for terrestrial use in that band and opening it up for 5G mobile services, the agency should also look at means of guaranteeing fixed satellite services (FSS) access to the spectrum, because they already use it for earth station uplinks without any interference to local multipoint distribution services, SIA said. The FCC also should revisit its "dated assumptions" on other FSS earth station terminals operating in the band to ascertain what -- if any -- techniques or technologies now exist that could let FSS earth station uplinks operate in the band without interfering with terrestrial networks, SIA said.