Tampa, Fla.-de Federal Communications Commission has formally kicked off a process to explore new use for the upper C-band satellite spectrum in the United States, making the road possible for a new windfall for sitting operators.
The supervisor approved a public consultation on 27 February to identify ways to encourage investments and the fast and efficient use of new communication services in the 3.98-4.2 GigaHertz (GHZ) band, which is mainly used by satellite companies to distribute TV services.
In 2020, the FCC generated more than $ 80 billion of auctioning 280 Megaertz (MHZ) from a lower C-band Spectrum (3.7-3.98 GHz) to Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and other terrestrial 5G players.
About $ 13.4 billion of those revenues were allocated to established spectrumhouders-false SES and Intelsat-OM to encourage them to quickly move to the remaining 200 MHz C band and coverage of relocation costs, including new satellites.
How closely the FCC follows that PlayBook falls this time. Brendan Carr, for the first time on 27 February an FCC -open meeting for the first time, emphasized that all options are on the table.
SpaceX, which operates the Starlink-Brandstellatie, argues for a framework that would enable a mix of space and terrestrial communication operators to share C-band Spectrum, because SES and Intelsat are planning a merger that would consolidate their spectrum for more than 90% of the top C-band.
The authority of the FCC to perform most spectrum auctions also expires in 2023, and the regulator calls for the congress to restore it.
FCC commissioners have unanimously approved with the launch of a notification of research (NOI) on Upper C-band, which set up a 90-day deadline for comments, followed by another 90 days for answers and reactions.
In the air
During a profit call of 26 February, SES-CEO Adel al-Saleh said that it is technically possible to erase at least 100 MHz C-band and to protect existing services at the same time.
The achievement of this would require detailed engineering work, he said, but “how much is actually erased is still unclear” because it depends on the FCC consultation process.
“But their goal is very clear,” he added, “to get as much as possible.”
According to Al-Saleh, the value of C-band has also risen in recent years, not only for mobile operators who want to meet the increasing demand for connectivity, but also for companies that are pursuing of emerging direct-to-device (D2D) options.
“It’s a very valuable piece of real estate,” he said. “But we must let the process come out to understand what the potential future compensation could be.”
Leave a Reply