Attachment comments

comments

COMMENT submitted by Ciel Satellite Limited Partnership

comments

2008-08-01

This document pretains to SAT-AMD-20080701-00138 for Amended Filing on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATAMD2008070100138_679925

In the Matter of

DIRECTV ENTERPRISES, LLC                          Call Signs S2242 (File Nos. SAT-LOA-
                                                  19970605-00049; SAT-AMD-2005 1118-
                                                  00226; SAT-AMD-20080114-00015; & SAT-
                                                  AMD-20080321-00078)
                                                  and S2712 (File Nos. SAT-LOA-20060908-
                                                  00100; SAT-AMD-20080114-00014; & SAT-
                                                  AMD-2008032 1-00077)

EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C.               Call Sign S2442 (File Nos. SAT-LOA-
                                                  20020328-00052; SAT-AMD-2005 11 18-
                                                  00245; SAT-AMD-20080114-00020; & SAT-
                                                  AMD-200802 13-00043)

Intelsat North America LLC                        Call Sign S2662 (File Nos. SAT-LOA-
                                                  20050210-0003 1; SAT-AMD-2005 1118-
                                                  00238; SAT-AMD-20080114-00008; SAT-
and                                               AMD-200806 17-00123; & SAT-AMD-
                                                  20080701-00138)

Pegasus Development DBS Corporation               Call Signs S2698 (File Nos. SAT-LOA-
                                                  20060412-00042; SAT-AMD-20080 114-
Applications for Authority to Launch and          00025; & SAT-AMD-20080118-00029)
Operate 17/24 GHz Broadcasting-Satellite          and S2699 (File Nos. SAT-LOA-20060412-
Service Space Stations                            00043; & SAT-AMD-20080114-00024)


             COMMENTS OF CIEL SATELLITE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

               Ciel Satellite Limited Partnership (“Ciel”), pursuant to Section 25.154 of the

Commission’s Rules, 47 C.F.R.   5 25.154, hereby submits its comments on the above-captioned
applications of DIRECTV ENTERPRISES, LLC (“DIRECTV”), EchoStar Satellite Operating

L.L.C. (“Echostar”), Intelsat North America LLC (“Intelsat”), and Pegasus Development DBS

Corporation (“Pegasus”) for Commission licenses to launch and operate new space stations in

the 17/24 GHz Broadcasting-Satellite Service (“BSS”) at or near the 91” W.L., 103” W.L., and


107" W.L. orbital locations. Ciel requests that the Commission impose coordination

requirements as conditions to any grant of these applications.

                Such requirements are necessary to protect Ciel's spectrum rights. Ciel has been

awarded Approvals in Principle ("AIPs") by Industry Canada to develop the 17/24 GHz BSS

spectrum at 91" W.L., 103" W.L., and 107.3" W.L. These locations all correspond with orbital

locations on the U.S. grid, taking into account the one-degree offset already permitted by the

Commission pursuant to its Reconsideration Order in the rulemaking proceeding relating to

17/24 GHz BSS.' Ciel's 17/24 GHz BSS satellites will be designed to provide coverage of both

Canada and the United States, and Ciel intends to request U.S. market access for these locations

from the FCC after the Commission's freeze on 17/24 GHz BSS applications has been lifted.

                The Canadian Administration has submitted filings with the International

Telecommunication Union ("ITU") regarding the 17/24 GHz BSS spectrum at the three

17/24 GHz orbital locations awarded to Ciel by Industry Canada. At 103" W.L., the Canadian

filings have date priority for international coordination purposes. At 91" W.L. and 107.3' W.L.,

the Canadian ITU filings have equal priority with U.S. ITU filings, and both countries' filings

will expire in April 2009 if they are not brought into use by then. Canada has another set of

filings at these orbital locations that will have priority following April 2009 if the first set of

Canadian and U.S. filings expires.

                Any grant of Commission licenses at these orbital locations must respect the

status and priority of the Canadian filings under ITU rules. Specifically, the Commission should
1
  The Establishment of Policies and Service Rules for the Broadcasting-Satellite Service at the
17.3-17.7 GHz Frequency Band and at the 17.7-1 7.8 GHz Frequency Band Internationally, and
at the 24.75-25.25 GHz Frequency Band for Fixed Satellite Services Providing Feeder Links to
the Broadcasting-Satellite Service and for the Satellite Services Operating Bi-Directionally in
the 17.3-1 7.8 GHz Frequency Band, Order on Reconsideration, IB Dkt No. 06-123,22 FCC Rcd
17951 (2007).


                                                   2


make clear that any licenses awarded are subject to the licensee's obligation to coordinate with

satellite operators having ITU date priority that is equal or superior to that of the U.S. Such a

requirement conforms to existing FCC practice, precedent and international obligations.

                    Furthermore, a coordination condition is consistent with satellite license terms

imposed by the Commission for other broadcast spectrum in the past. For example, when the

Commission authorized EchoStar to launch and operate a new space station in the 12/17 GHz

BSS bands, the grant was subject to a coordination requirement.2 In addition, although it stated

that EchoStar could commence operations prior to completing coordination, the Commission

required EchoStar to advise its customers that service might have to be discontinued or altered as

a result of coordination agreements with other       operator^.^
                    Similar conditions are appropriate here to ensure that to the extent DIRECTV,

Echostar, Intelsat, and Pegasus receive 17/24 GHz BSS licenses at or near the orbital locations

for which Ciel has been awarded AIPs by Industry Canada, any operations under these licenses

must conform to ITU rules and Commission policies requiring coordination.




L
 EchoStar Satellite L.L. C., Application to Construct, Launch and Operate a Direct Broadcast
Satellite at the 86.5" W.L. Orbital Location, Order and Authorization, DA 06-2440,21 FCC Rcd
14045 (IB 2006) at 7 28.

    Id. at T[ 17.


                                                      3


               Accordingly, Ciel requests that the Commission include in any grant of the above-

referenced applications a requirement that the licensees coordinate with satellite operators having

equal or superior ITU date priority.

                                             Respectfully submitted,

                                             CIELFLIT              LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

                                             BY+        -
                                                        ’      \

                                             Scott Gibson
                                             Vice President & General Counsel
                                             Ciel Satellite Limited Partnership
                                             Suite 104,240 Terence Matthews Crescent,
                                             Kanata, Ontario, Canada
                                             K2M 2C4

August 1,2008




                                                 4


                                CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

               I, Scott Gibson, hereby certify that on this 1st day of August, 2008, I caused to be

served a true copy of the foregoing “Comments of Ciel Satellite Limited Partnership” by first

class mail, postage prepaid, upon the following:

William Wiltshire                                  Susan H. Crandall
Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP                    Intelsat Corporation
1200 18th Street, N.W.                             3400 International Drive, N. W.
Washington, DC 20036                               Washington, DC 20008-3006
Counsel to DIRECTV ENTERPRISES, LLC                Counsel to Intelsat North America LLC

Pantelis Michalopoulos                             Tony Lin
Steptoe & Johnson LLP                              Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
1330 Connecticut Ave., N.W.                        2300 N Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036                               Washington, DC 20037
Counsel to EchoStar Satellite Operating            Counsel to Pegasus Development DBS
L.L. c.                                            Corporation




                                                       I   .   m   -   r
                                                   P

                                              Scott ’Gibson



Document Created: 2008-08-04 13:03:55
Document Modified: 2008-08-04 13:03:55

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