The five-year satellite disposal requirement that just went into effect won't trigger a faster pace of low earth orbit satellite launches as operators won't try to put vehicles in orbit under the regulatory wire, space experts tell us. In addition, the new rule shouldn't propel LEO missions to seek licensing in nations outside the U.S., they believe. The five-year deorbit rule adopted in 2022 (see 2209290017) covers all launches after Sept. 29.
NTIA may need Capitol Hill's help addressing spectrum authority issues, Michael Marcus, former FCC engineer and adjunct professor at Northeastern University, said in comments to NTIA on a national spectrum strategy. Section 323 of the Communications Act, which addresses interference issues, has never been amended, runs to just 214 words and uses terms that are “woefully anachronistic,” Marcus said. NTIA should request legislation replacing Section 323 with “legislative guidance on how the President and FCC resolve their respective rules.” But Marcus noted that crafting and approving legislation is difficult and it is rarely able to keep pace with a changing industry. One key issue is improving agency confidence in NTIA decisions, he said. NTIA and the FCC need additional resources to do a “more objective and timely analysis of the technical issues in spectrum sharing,” Marcus added.
The limited intent of the FCC Space Bureau grant allowing SpaceX to conduct supplemental coverage from space (SCS) operations over the G block (see 2312050029) is gutted by the thousands of SpaceX satellites involved, Dish Network said in a docket 23-135 reconsideration petition posted Wednesday. "At 10 days for each satellite, the authorization would be for the equivalent of centuries," Dish said, adding that the intended limits don't place meaningful boundaries on SpaceX's operations. It urged the grant be deferred or discontinued or limited to a sample of 10 SpaceX satellites. In a separate filing in the docket, Dish and new parent EchoStar (see 2401020003) called Omnispace's interference analysis of the 990-1995 MHz band (see 2310230035) "worthy of study." SpaceX launched its first batch of SCS-dedicated satellites this week (see 2401030032). It didn't comment Thursday on Dish's petition.
Wall Street might start looking at cable growth in 2024 as "a game of inches with growth and investment narratives dependent on short-term promotions and competitor offers rather than structural drivers," Barclays said in a note Thursday. Price hikes will likely be a focus again for the telecom industry in 2024 as they were during the past few years. Barclays also said a slowdown in cable subscriber growth due to issues such as competition from new entrants in a low-growth environment is likely to be exacerbated by Verizon and T-Mobile having greater access to spectrum for fixed wireless. An additional worry for cable is that AT&T is moving further into fixed wireless. Traditionally, cable grew through speed upgrades and price hikes. With Comcast and Charter offering minimum speeds "way higher than needed for most households," pricing becomes more important, Barclays said. However, price hikes come with trade-offs, it added, pointing to increased fixed wireless competition and wireless-only growth.
SpaceX's acknowledging it didn't assess whether its supplemental coverage from space service in the 2 GHz band will interfere with Dish Network operations (see 2312120057) shows SpaceX's application runs counter to FCC rules, as such an assessment is required, Dish told the FCC Space Bureau in a letter Thursday. SpaceX could have conducted an interference analysis based on information available about Dish's operations but "did not, and that fact ends the charade," Dish said. SpaceX didn't comment Friday.
A cable industry priority for the new year is opposing the FCC's proposal that requires MVPDs to refund subscribers for programming blackouts due to failed retransmission consent talks with broadcasters, ACA Connects President Grant Spellmeyer told Communications Daily. In an interview, Spellmeyer discussed his 18 months as ACA head (see 2205170043), video's declining -- but not negligible -- importance to his members, and cable's broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program concerns. The following transcript was edited for length and clarity.
The FCC approved Friday a 2022 T-Mobile application to purchase 600 MHz licenses it was leasing from Columbia Capital, dismissing a Dish Network challenge. T-Mobile reported the deal was worth $3.5 billion. Analysts said when T-Mobile filed the application FCC approval was likely, especially since the carrier is already using the frequencies (see 2208090053).