PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET N.W. WASHINGTON, DC 20554 ___________________________________________________ News media Information 202/418-0500 Recorded listing of releases and texts 202/418-2222. Report No. SPB-106 October 15, 1997 SATELLITE POLICY BRANCH INFORMATION: Satellite Applications Accepted For Filing in the Ka-band Cut-off Established for Additional Applications in the 28.35-28.6 GHz, 29.1-30 GHz, 17.7 - 18.8 GHz, and 19.3 - 20.2 GHz Frequency Bands The Commission has found, upon initial review, that the following applications are acceptable for filing in the 18.35-18.60 GHz, 19.3-20.2 GHz downlink bands and the 28.35- 28.6 GHz, 29.1-30.0 GHz uplink bands. The Commission reserves the right to return these applications if, upon further examination, it is determined that they are defective or not in conformance with the Commission's rules, regulations, and policies. The Commission emphasizes that neither initial acceptance of any of the following individual applications for filing, nor this Public Notice, should in any way be construed as evidence of any predisposition on the part of the Commission with respect to the international or domestic regulatory changes that must be effected before these applications can be granted. We further note that coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which has primary jurisdiction over U.S. Government use of spectrum, must occur with respect to the proposed bands shared between Government and non-Government use prior to any grant of these applications. Geostationary Satellite-Orbit Systems: Motorola Global Communications, Inc. File Nos. 94 through 98-SAT-P/LA-97 Motorola Global Communications, Inc. has filed an application for authority to construct, launch, and operate the Celestri GEO system, a network of five satellites in geostationary orbit (GSO) providing FSS service in the Ka-band. Motorola proposes real-time global broadband communication services from the following orbital positions: 139o W.L., 7.5o W.L., 42o E.L., 97o E.L., and 151.5o E.L. The Celestri GEO System, together with the previously licensed Millenium GSO FSS system, account for one of three Motorola satellite systems geared towards integrating broadband FSS services to various market segments. The other two systems consist of the proposed non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) Celestri LEO system and the proposed NGSO FSS M-Star System. Motorola requests 750 MHz of spectrum for uplink and downlink transmission in the Ka-band. Specifically, it proposes to operate in the 18.35-18.60 GHz and 19.7-20.2 GHz band (space-to-Earth) and the 28.35-28.6 GHz and 29.5-30.0 GHz bands (Earth-to-space). Motorola also requests 2,000 MHz in the 50-70 GHz range for its inter-satellite links. The spectrum for the service links, which consists of 500 MHz and 250 MHz in each direction, is divided into six frequency sub-bands, with each antenna beam using dual orthogonal polarization. Thus, the system's capacity is multiplied by 9.5 over the particular satellite's coverage area. When employing five satellites, the Celestri GEO System reutilizes the bandwidth five times, which results in a re-use factor of 47.5 and an effective system bandwidth of 35,625 MHz. The Celestri GEO System will be operating with other Celestri Architecture satellite systems, i.e., Celestri LEO System, Millennium, and M-Star. Motorola asserts the Celestri GEO System will offer broadcast, multicast and other data distribution services at data rates suitable for High Definition Television ("HDTV") and high speed file transfers. Motorola proposes to offer services on a non-common carrier basis. Feeder Links for Mobile Satellite Service Systems: The following applicants have requested feeder link spectrum in the Ka-band to operate in conjunction with proposed mobile-satellite service systems in the 2 GHz band. GlobalStar, L.P. File Nos. 182 through 186-SAT-P/LA-97 GlobalStar, L.P. has filed an application to launch and operate a mobile-satellite service system in the 2 GHz frequency band to provide worldwide voice and data communications for mobile, portable and fixed user terminals. GlobalStar requests, among other things, 200 MHz of feeder uplink spectrum in the Ku-band allocation of 15.45-15.65 GHz or in the Ka-band allocation of 19.3-19.6 GHz. Iridium LLC File No. 187-SAT-P/LA-97 Iridium LLC has filed an application to launch and operate the Macrocell system, a low earth orbit mobile satellite system proposed to operate in the 2 GHz frequency bands. Iridium requests, among other things, feeder downlink frequencies in the 19.3-19.7 GHz and feeder uplink frequencies in the 29.1-29.5 GHz bands. We recognize that, in accordance with the domestic band segmentation plan, the 29.1- 29.25 GHz band is shared between NGSO MSS feeder link and local multipoint distribution service operations. Any applications proposing NGSO MSS feeder link operations in the 29.1-29.25 GHz band will need to comply with the special requirements for operations in this band contained in Section 25.257 of the Commission's Rules. Comments or petitions regarding these applications may be filed on or before December 1, 1997. Replies and oppositions may be filed on or before December 22, 1997. Responses may be filed on or before January 6, 1998. CUT-OFF ESTABLISHED FOR ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS On October 9, 1997, the Commission adopted a Report and Order setting forth service rules for entities proposing to operate Ka-band satellite systems in the Fixed Satellite Service. See Rulemaking to Amend Parts 1, 2, 21, and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Redesignate the 27.5-29.5 GHz Frequency Band, to Reallocate the 29.5-30.0 GHz Frequency Band, to Establish Rules and Policies for Local Multipoint Distribution Service and for Fixed Satellite Service, Third Report and Order, FCC 97-378 (adopted October 9, 1997). This Public Notice establishes a cut-off date for applications to be considered in the 28.35-28.6 GHz, 29.1-30 GHz uplink and 17.7-18.8 GHz, 19.3-20.2 GHz downlink frequency bands. The Bureau invites new applications to construct, launch and operate U.S.-licensed space stations to provide satellite services in the 28.35-28.6 GHz, 29.1-30 GHz uplink and 17.7-18.8 GHz, 19.3-20.2 GHz downlink frequency bands. The Bureau invites those entities seeking to operate in the United States using non- U.S. licensed space stations in the 28.35-28.6 GHz, 29.1-30.0 GHz uplink and 17.7-18.8 GHz, 19.3-20.2 GHz downlink frequency bands, to file an earth station application proposing to operate with a non-U.S. licensed space station. Alternatively, these entities may file a letter of intent to provide satellite service in the 28.35-28.6 GHz, 29.1-30.0 GHz uplink and 17.7-18.8 GHz, 19.3-20.2 GHz downlink frequency bands in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Public Notice released by the Commission on April 16, 1997. We do not intend to require space stations that are licensed by or are the subjects of license applications to other administrations to obtain a separate (and duplicative) space station license from the United States before serving the U.S. market. Each new application or letter of intent must include a concrete, comprehensive proposal for its proposed system, describing in detail all pertinent technical, operational and ownership aspects of the system and its ability to proceed expeditiously with construction and launch. Entities filing earth station applications or letters of intent to use non-U.S. satellites must include in their filings an exhibit containing this information for the space station they seek to access. This should include the information specified in Section 25.114 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R.  25.114, as amended by the Commission's Part 25 Streamlining Order, including appropriate information related to any feeder link and telemetry, tracking, and control requirements. However, applicants seeking to use a non-U.S. licensed satellite to serve the United States need not file financial information in cases where the non-U.S. satellite is in-orbit and operating, even if the information is required for that service under our rules. Further, applicants need not file the technical information specified in Sections 25.114(c)(5) through 25.114(c)(12), where international coordination for the non- U.S. licensed satellite has been completed through the International Telecommunication Union ("ITU") and the network has been notified to the ITU, unless the technical characteristics of the proposed system or service differ from the characteristics established in the ITU coordination process. In order to be considered as part of the processing round, applicants are required to apply for and file corresponding fees for launch and operating authority as set forth in Section 1.1107 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.1107. (Construction authority and corresponding fees are no longer required.) Thus, applicants for non-geostationary satellite systems would file the fee listed for "Space Stations (Low Earth Orbit Satellite Systems)" on a per system basis (see 47 C.F.R.  1.1107(10)(b)) and applicants for geostationary satellite systems would file the fee listed for "Space Stations (Geostationary)" on a per satellite basis (see 47 C.F.R.  1.1107(9)(b)(1)). Pursuant to Section 1.1117 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.1117, requests for a waiver of the fees will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Entities filing earth station applications to access non-U.S. satellites must file an earth station filing fee. Entities filing letters of intent need not file application fees with their proposals. Pursuant to Section 25.155 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  25.155, interested parties wishing to file, in the 18.8-19.3 GHz and 28.6-29.1 GHz frequency bands, any of the following items: (1) amendments to existing U.S. space station applications, (2) new U.S. space station applications, (3) earth station applications, or (4) letters of intent to use non-U.S. licensed space stations to be considered in this processing round must do so on or before December 22, 1997. Section 25.110(d) requires space station applicants to file an original and nine copies of their submissions. Proposals that fail to provide all required information in their filings or fail to include the appropriate filing fee as of the cut-off date will be dismissed as unacceptable for filing. Applicants filing by the cut-off date will be afforded an opportunity to amend their applications, if necessary, to conform to any requirements and policies that may be adopted subsequently for space stations concerning the provision of service in these bands. Additionally, the following parties filed applications to operate in Ka-band frequencies that are not in conformance with the domestic band segmentation plan and the 28 GHz Service Rules released today (See In the Matter of Rulemaking to Amend Parts 1, 2, 21, and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Redesignate the 27.5-29.5 GHz Frequency Band, to Reallocate the 29.5-30.0 GHz Frequency Band, to Establish Rules and Policies for Local Multipoint Distribution Service and for Fixed Satellite Service, Third Report and Order, FCC No. 97-378, released October 15, 1997): CAI Data Systems, Inc., Orion Asia Pacific Corporation, Orion Atlantic, L.P., PanAmSat Licensee Corporation, and CelSat America, Inc. These applicants have until December 22, 1997, the cut-off date for additional applications in this processing round, to submit conforming amendments to their applications. A copy of these applications will be available for public inspection in the International Reference Center, Room 102, 2000 M St. N.W., Washington, D.C. and from ITS duplicating Services at 202-857-3800. For further information, contact Julie Garcia at 202-418-0763 or Kathleen Campbell at 202-418-0753. - FCC -