Globalstar Receives Experimental License for Terrestrial Low-Power Service on 2484 MHz

By Doug Lung
published

Globalstar has been granted an experimental construction permit and license WH2XNQ to use 22M0M9W emission on 2484 MHz, fixed and mobile, in San Carlos, Calif., with an effective radiated power of 4 watts. The 22 MHz bandwidth means the signal can extend from 2473 to 2495 MHz, potentially impacting broadcast auxiliary service channels A9 (2467-2483.5 MHz) and A10 (2483.5-2500 MHz). The license requires Globalstar to coordinate operations with existing microwave users and notes “Operation is subject to prior coordination with the Society of Broadcast Engineers.”

The technical exhibit submitted with Globalstar's application for the license only discusses Bluetooth and Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) as other users of the spectrum. Broadcasters are not mentioned. The technical exhibit includes spectrum plots showing little use of this spectrum. The exhibit does not describe where or how the spectrum measurements were made, but it seems unlikely they would have picked up transmissions from ENG trucks to ENG receive sites.

The experimental license with its limited 3 km radius of operation in San Carlos would not cause any interference to BAS operations unless an ENG receive site was trying to pick up an ENG transmission from the same area. However, if Globalstar's “TLPS” service is ever used by the general public the potential for interference greatly increases.

For more on broadcasters' concerns about interference problems in the 2 GHz BAS bands, see my article EIBASS FCC Filing Flags Interference Problems in 2 GHz BAS Bands.

The grant of Globalstar's application was included in the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology's list of experimental applications granted from 12/1/2014-12/31/2014.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.