Satellite Update – March 29, 2012

By Doug Lung
published


From FCC Report SAT-00853:

  • • EchoStar Satellite Operating Corp. has applied for authority to construct, launch and operate EchoStar 16 in the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) service at 61.5 degrees WL using the 12.2-12.7 GHz (space=to-Earth) and 17.3-17.8 GHz (Earth-to-space) frequency bands.
  • • EchoStar seeks authority to operate EchoStar 16 on DBS Channels 3 through 32. To the extent necessary, it seeks a waiver of the freeze on new DBS service applications in order to obtain regular operating authority on DBS channels 23 and 24 at that location.
  • • Prior to EchoStar 16's commissioning at 61.5 degrees, EchoStar requested special temporary authority (STA) to operate EchoStar 3, EchoStar 12 and EchoStar 15 at 61.45 degrees WL, 61.35 degrees WL, and 61.55 degrees WL, using 12.2-12.7 GHz and 17.3-17.8 GHz on DBS Channels 3 through 32. EchoStar has regular authority to operate at 61.5 degrees WL on DBS channels 1 through 22 and 25 through 32. It seeks to exchange Channels 1 and 2 for the unassigned Channels 23 and 24.
  • • EchoStar requested STA, for 180 days, to operate EchoStar 16 on DBS Channels 1 and 2 at 61.5 degrees WL, commencing upon the satellite's arrival at that location after launch and in-orbit testing. It requested STA to operate EchoStar 3, EchoStar 12, and EchoStar 15 in the DBS service on channels 1 and 2 commencing upon EchoStar 16's arrival at 61.5 degrees WL.


From FCC Report SAT-00854:

  • • The FCC International Bureau's Satellite Division granted LightSquared Subsidiary LLC's application to extend the license term of MSAT-2 at 103.3 degrees WL until Dec. 31, 2012, in order to provide more time to transition customers from MSAT-2 to LightSquared's second-generation SkyTerra-1. MSAT-2 uses the following frequency bands: 1530-1544 MHz and 1545-1559 MHz (space-to-Earth) and 1631.5-1645.5 MHz and 1646.6-1660.5 MHz (Earth-to-space). Feeder links are in the 13.0-13.15 GHz and 13.20-13.25 GHz bands. Telemetry, tracking and telecommand operations use specified Ku-band frequencies.
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.