Satellite Update for Dec. 20, 2013

By Doug Lung
published

From FCC Report SAT-00985, “Actions Taken:”

• The FCC International Bureau's Satellite Division granted, with conditions, special temporary authority (STA) for 60 days to Intelsat License LLC allowing it to continue to provide Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) on a temporary basis from Intelsat 706 at 157.0 degrees east longitude (EL) using 3700-4200 MHz, 10.95-11.2 GHz, 11.45-11.7 GHz, and 12.5-12.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 5925-6425 MHz and 14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space). Telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) necessary to maintain Intelsat 706 at 157.0 degrees EL is authorized using specified C-band frequencies.

• A petition from New Skies Satellites B.V. to modify the terms of the grant of U.S. market access for NSS-806 was granted in part, with conditions. The grant is modified to (1) reflect the relocation of NSS-806 from the 40.5° W.L. orbital location to the 47.5 degrees WL orbital location; (2) allow NSS-806 to provide Fixed-Satellite Service to the United States in the 3700-4200 MHz (space-to-Earth), 5925-6425 MHz (Earth-to-space), 11.70-11.95 GHz (space-to-Earth), and 14.0-14.25 GHz (Earth-to-space) frequency bands; (3) allow NSS-806 to provide direct-to-home services in the 3700-4200 MHz and 11.7-11.95 GHz bands within the United States and between the United States and specified foreign markets and (4) allow New Skies to re-point the steerable conventional Ku-band spot beam on NSS-806 from its current pointing over South America to a pointing that will cover the United States and the Caribbean, and allow New Skies to re-point the steerable spot beam anywhere within the visible Earth, subject to the parameters described in its petition.” The Satellite Division deferred action on New Skies' request for access to the U.S. market from NSS-806 using extended C-band frequencies

• Iridium Constellation LLC received two 60-day STAs allowing it to continue to co-locate one of its spare in-orbit satellites with another satellite in its orbital constellation and to continue to operate its satellite SV023 as a non-transmitting spare satellite approximately 300 km behind satellite SV094 at an altitude of approximately 778 km.

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.