Northpoint Technology has asked the FCC to reconsider its decision to grant EchoStar authority to launch and operate the EchoStar 7 satellite for its DBS service. Northpoint is the developer of a patented, wireless technology that can offer an alternative to cable, DBS and broadband providers.
Northpoint objects to Echostar choosing to serve Mexico City instead of any of the 20 states in the United States that do not have local television signals through EchoStar. According to Northpoint, this does not serve the public interest. The company says that EchoStar should be required to serve one or more of the cities in the 20 underserved states before being licensed to serve other countries.
The company points out that DirecTV can direct more than 25 spot beams at the United States without self-interference problems, but EchoStar claims to experience self-interference difficulty if more than 12 spot beams are used in the United States.
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