The end of December was a busy period for the International Bureau of the FCC. Here is a summary of the Bureau's actions and applications received related to satellite stations.
DirecTV Enterprises was granted special temporary authority (STA) to operate DirecTV 1 at the 101 degree West Longitude (WL) location with its currently licensed parameters for 180 days after its license expires, through and including Dec. 2, 2004.
The applications of DirecTV Group requesting operation on Ka-band frequencies 18.3-18.365, 18.53-18.57, 18.735-18.8, 28.35-28.36, 28.525-28.6, 29.25-29.26 and 29.425-29.5 GHz at 99.29 degrees WL and 102.89 degrees WL were dismissed without prejudice. These frequencies will be available for reassignment at these locations.
For information on the above actions, see FCC Report SAT-00264.
The FCC accepted an application from DirecTV Enterprises to amend its pending request for modification of its authorization to operate DirecTV 1 at 101.125 degrees WL for an additional five years.
DirecTV also filed applications to launch and operate geostationary Ka-band band satellite DirecTV 11 at 99.29 degrees WL and Ka-band satellite DirecTV 10 at 102.89 degrees WL. DirecTV requested use of the 18.365-18.53, 18.57-18.735, 28.36-28.525, and 29.26-29.425 GHz band segments for DIRECT 11, some of which are currently authorized for the Spaceway 2 satellite at the same location. For DirecTV 10 DirecTV requested use of 18.365-18.53, 18.57-18.735, 28.36-28.525, and 29.26-29.425 GHz, some of which are authorized for the Spaceway 1 satellite at the same location.
EchoStar Satellite filed a modification to its existing authorization for a Ka-band satellite at 117 degrees WL to specify exact tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C) frequencies as required by Condition 8 of the authorization. For on station operation, EchoStar will use 29.999 GHz (right hand circular polarization) for the command frequency and 19.701 GHz and 20.199 GHz (both left hand circularly polarized) for telemetry.
Rainbow DBS Company asked for an extension of its STA to operate the Rainbow 1 satellite at 61.59 degrees WL on channels 23 and 24 for a period not to exceed 180 days beginning on April 5, 2004.
DirecTV requested STA to operate DirecTV 1 at 101.125 degrees WL for 180 days beyond the Dec. 2, 2004 expiration date of its current STA, through and including May 30, 2005.
PanAmSat requested STA to completed relocation of Galaxy 3R from 111.0 degrees WL to 73.95 degrees WL and operate the TT&C payload on the satellite during the relocation and after it is positioned at 73.95 degrees. The STA would be an extension of PanAmSat's current 30-day STA for the relocation.
Additional information on the above applications is available in FCC Report SAT-00263.
In Report SAT-00262 released Dec. 23, 2004, the FCC took the following actions.
The FCC granted Intelsat an STA extension to allow it to continue to operate the INTELSAT 605 satellite at 77 degrees WL on C-band uplink/downlink frequencies and Ku-band uplink frequencies between 14.0-14.5 GHz
PanAmSat was allowed to relocate C-band satellite Galaxy 12 from 125.25 degrees WL to 125.05 degrees under STA. It also given STA to relocate Galaxy 5 from 125.05 degrees WL to 125.15 degrees WL and operate it in the C-band frequency bands for the purpose of transferring communications traffic to Galaxy 12. After the transfer is completed, PanAmSat is allowed to boost the Galaxy 5 satellite into a disposal orbit.
SES Americom requested an extension of its STA to continue operations of C-band satellite Satcom C-1 at 37.5 degrees WL until June 17, 2005. PanAmSat. See FCC Report SAT-00261 for additional information on this and other applications.
