The FCC<\/b> is questioning EchoStar<\/b> about the status of its mobile satellite services (MSS) operations in the 2 GHz band after SpaceX<\/b> accused EchoStar of \u201cbarely\u201d using the band. <\/p>\n
The FCC opened two public notices on EchoStar Monday. One from the Space Bureau focuses on MSS utilization, seeking information on whether EchoStar\u2019s use of the 2 GHz band for MSS is \u201cconsistent with the terms of its authorizations and the commission\u2019s rules and policies.\u201d <\/p>\n
The other public notice from the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau deals with EchoStar\u2019s 5G network buildout. <\/p>\n
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sent a letter to EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen on May 9, explaining that Carr directed FCC staff to investigate the company\u2019s compliance with its 5G buildout milestones and an extension the company received in September, and its MSS utilization.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deployment of broadband service throughout the country, and the robust and efficient use of the nation\u2019s spectrum resources, is of paramount importance to the FCC,\u201d Carr said in the letter. <\/p>\n
The FCC Monday notice specifically references that SpaceX raised questions about the company\u2019s MSS utilization.<\/p>\n
Ergen defended the company\u2019s use of spectrum in a letter back to Carr released on Tuesday, saying that EchoStar has \u201cmet or exceeded all of the commitments\u201d on the O-RAN buildout, and addressing company\u2019s direct-to-device plans for its spectrum in the works. <\/p>\n
These new FCC inquiries do not come as a surprise, Kimberly Siversen Burke, director of Government Affairs for Quilty Space, told Via Satellite<\/i>, pointing to SpaceX\u2019s previous requests to operate in already claimed bands and petitions for new rulemaking on sharing rules. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis was completely expected and at least two years in the making. Like the out-of-band emissions (OOBE) waiver granted to SpaceX, we knew it would happen once Carr became FCC chair. We just didn\u2019t know how long it would take,\u201d Burke said. <\/p>\n
Last month, the FCC kicked off a spectrum sharing review process and comments on satellite power limits that SpaceX petitioned for. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe FCC is now juggling multiple proceedings to reexamine how satellite spectrum is shared, opened, or pried loose from incumbents. SpaceX is charting this course. That\u2019s not to say other operators aren\u2019t along for the ride, but SpaceX is arguably at the helm,\u201d Burke said. <\/p>\n
This inquiry comes after SpaceX and EchoStar have been going back-and-forth in regulatory filings in recent weeks about EchoStar\u2019s use of 2 GHz spectrum. <\/p>\n
SpaceX filed a spectrum analysis on April 14 that alleged that EchoStar\u2019s Dish Network \u201cuses less than 5% of what would be expected from an actual wireless network operator.\u201d SpaceX called for the FCC to bring new entrants into the 2 GHz band and start a new spectrum-sharing process. <\/p>\n
EchoStar responded by calling the methodology \u201ccompletely nonsensical,\u201d and said it is an attempt from SpaceX to \u201chijack competition\u201d and \u201ccloak another land grab for even more free spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FCC\u2019s new inquiries could have implications for other satellite operators. Burke said that while this new FCC docket is focused on Dish\/EchoStar holdings, \u201cthe outcome could also lay the groundwork for similar reforms in the Big LEO bands,\u201d where Globalstar and Iridium have exclusive status. This would require a separate proceeding. <\/p>\n
Burke also pointed to an Executive Order released in February expanding the Administration\u2019s power over independent agencies. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t help but wonder if Trump-era policies are slipping into the blind spots of many satellite operators. Everyone is looking at Carr\u2019s alliances \u2013 perceived or otherwise \u2013 but not at the presidential EO that yanks the FCC under tighter White House control,\u201d Burke said. \u201cThe order effectively dismantles the firewall that once insulated the FCC from direct political command. That means the administration can directly shape proceedings like this one and others.\u201d <\/p>\n
Ergen defended EchoStar\u2019s rollout in a response to Carr filed with the SEC and released Tuesday, saying the company has \u201cmet or exceeded all of the commitments we have entered into with the FCC to date,\u201d and the company is still deploying and investing in its network. <\/p>\n
Ergen cited that EchoStar has invested tens of billions in the Open RAN network using primarily American vendors. He said it is the world\u2019s largest 5G Open RAN network, and said it serves 24,000 5G sites and offers broadband service to more than 268 million people in the U.S. <\/p>\n
He also noted the network furthers the Trump Administration\u2019s priority of putting the U.S. \u201cat the forefront of wireless leadership and that our infrastructure is free of Chinese vendors,\u201d and also serves rural and hard to reach communities.<\/p>\n
EchoStar has direct-to-device network plans in the works that would use the company\u2019s terrestrial and MSS spectrum. <\/p>\n
Last week, CEO Hamid Akhavan said that while EchoStar hasn\u2019t fully announced its plans, it is getting plans and engineering ready. He said EchoStar wants to time any satellite launches to when more devices in the market are compatible with 3GPP standards that allow chips to communicate with satellites. <\/p>\n
Ergen pointed to progress here that EchoStar is testing new S-band services in North America and Europe, launched a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite and has \u201cseveral more\u201d planned in the coming months. <\/p>\n
\u201cEchoStar worked tirelessly to establish 3GPP NTN standard for D2D. With D2D 3GPP standards now complete, EchoStar has the global capability in terms of expertise, spectrum, and ITU priority to bring this to fruition,\u201d Ergen said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The FCC is questioning EchoStar about the status of its mobile satellite services (MSS) operations in the 2 GHz band after SpaceX accused EchoStar of \u201cbarely\u201d using the band. The FCC opened two public notices on EchoStar Monday. One from the Space Bureau focuses on MSS utilization, seeking information on whether EchoStar\u2019s use of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49193"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}