Attachment 2009Intelsat Grant 3

This document pretains to SAT-LOA-20090410-00043 for Application to Launch and Operate on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATLOA2009041000043_1110413

                                                                                                   |
                                                  30 day Bond                 Filing 'Exfens\ow
                                                                                                oLHo00043
                                                                         File # "SPH: LofiZOofl

                                                                         Call Sign j 2463 GrantDate_12/23/09
                                                                         (or other identifier)   .        or/ 24/ i0
                                                                                                 l‘emlDatrEl:g
                                                                                                       ifer D. Hindin
1776 K STREET NW          December 15, 2009                              ‘ From12/25/0%
                                                                                12/25/0 4
WASHINGTON, DC 20006
                                                                               M»Wflrem.com
PHONE      202.719.7000
FAX        202.719.7049
                                                        1    nal Burea    Ap nuxu
                                                                                                       J. Dual)
7925 JONES BRANCH DRIVE
                          VIA IBFS               #subje} to conditions                           efi\%hc& Branch Chmf
McLEAN, VA 22102
PHONE      703.905.2800   Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
FAX        703.905.2820   Secretary
                          Federal Communications Commission
                          445 12th Street, S.W.
www. wileyrein.com
                          Washington, D.C. 20554

                          Re:     Intelsat North America LLC
                                  IBFS File Nos. SAT—LOA—20090410—00043 and SAT—AMD—20090528—
                                  00059; Call Sign $2789

                          Dear Ms. Dortch:

                                  Intelsat North America LLC ("Intelsat"), by its attorney, hereby requests a
                          30—day extension of time to satisfy the bond condition specified in paragraph 13 of
                          the Federal Communications Commission‘s ("Commission") grant of the above—
                          referenced application relating to the Intelsat 15 space station. Intelsat further
                          requests a clarification of this grant to confirm that if the Intelsat 15 space station is
                          launched and commences operations prior to the date the bond is due, then Intelsat
                          will not be required to post the bond. The requested extension and clarification are
                          consistent with Commission precedent, and will facilitate Intelsat‘s ability to
                          demonstrate compliance with the conditions with minimal administrative burden.

                                  The Commission granted Intelsat‘s application with conditions on
                          November 25, 2009.‘ Paragraph 13, subpart b, of the grant addresses bond matters
                          relating to Intelsat 15. Specifically, the subpart provides that:

                                          Intelsat must file a bond with the Commission in the
                                          amount of $750,000, pursuant to the procedures set
                                          forth in Public Notice, DA 03—2602, 18 FCC Red 16283
                                          (2003), within 30 days of the date of this grant
                                          (December 25, 2009)."

                          1      See Intelsat North America LLC, Application for Authority to Launch and
                          Operate Intelsat 15, a Ku—band Replacement Satellite, at 85.15° E.L., IBFS File
                          Nos. SAT—LOA—20090410—00043 and SAT—AMD—20090528—00059 (stamp grant
                          Nov. 25, 2009).
                          2       Id.at§13.b.


                                         Attachment to Grant
                                     Intelsat North America LLC
                               IBFS File No. SAT—LOA—20090410—00043



       The request of Intelsat North America LLC (Intelsat North America) for a 30—day
extension of the deadline, from December 25, 2009 until January 24, 2010, to file a bond
in the amount of $750,000 for the Intelsat 15 space station (Call Sign $2789) is granted.
Intelsat 15 was launched on November 29, 2009 and is currently undergoing in—orbit
testing at the 63.15° E.L. orbital location (see IBFS File No. SAT—STA—20091014—00110,
granted December 3, 2009). Intelsat North America anticipates that the space station will
arrive at its assigned 85.15° E.L. orbital location in time to commence operations by
January 18, 2010. In light of the launch of the Intelsat 15 space station and the planned
commencement of operations at the assigned 85.15 ° E.L. orbital location, the
requirement to file a bond for Call Sign $2789 pursuant to condition 13.b. of the Intelsat
15 authorization (IBFS File No. SAT—LOA—20090410—00043, granted November 25,
2009) will no longer apply if the following events occur before the extended bond filing
deadline of January 24, 2010: (a) Intelsat North America files a certification that the
Intelsat 15 space station has begun operations at its assigned orbital location consistent
with the terms and conditions of authorization, and (b) the Commission determines that
the last milestone has been satisfied. This grant does not otherwise affect in any way any
other terms and conditions to the authorization for the Intelsat 15 space station.

              30 ~-o\03                   Bond Filing Extension
          _     mcvmecmemnnomnanmne
                                          Tile # _SAT—Low— 2003040 —Ocou3

                   7 }L’fl.‘;              Call Sign __52—1 99     GrantDate         12/23 /__O__’g_
                   f'                 ! (or otheridentifier)
                      d               |         %                 Toerm Dates        |_—

                              4 | From!2/25/03_                              4,, OM24/16_
    *S\)Q)GC} 40 conditions                                    Sfep«e         3. Dull
                                                                Chicf,   1
                                                                             Satellite Pol'l((\j Branch


Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
December 15, 2009
Page 2


        Intelsat 15 was successfully launched on November 30 but has not yet begun
operations pending the completion of in—orbit testing. Testing is underway and to
date all tests have been nominal. Assuming no anomalies occur, Intelsat expects
testing to be completed and for the Intelsat 15 space station to commence operations
at its assigned orbital location by January 18, 2010. An affidavit attesting to the
facts relating to the launch and planned commencement of operations is attached
hereto as Annex 1.

       In anticipation of a January 18, 2010 date for the commencement of
operations on Intelsat 15, Intelsat requests that the Commission grant a 30—day
extension of the bond due date, from December 25, 2009 until January 24, 2010.
Intelsat notes that the requested extension would be consistent with Commission
precedent, in which an extension has been granted under very similar factual
circumstances.*

         Intelsat further requests a clarification of the Commission‘s grant to confirm
that if the Intelsat 15 space station commences operations in its assigned orbital
location on or before the extended January 24, 2010 deadline, then Intelsat will not
be required to post a bond. The requested clarification would put the Commission‘s
grant of Intelsat‘s application in conformity with other space station applications, in
which execution of a bond was not required where operation of the space stations
had commenced prior to the bond deadline."

       The bond requirement was first incorporated into the satellite licensing
process by the Commission to replace its previous financial qualification




>      See SES Americom, Inc. and SES Satellites (Gibraltar) Ltd., Requestfor
Extension of Time, IBFS File No. SAT—ASG—20080609—00120 (stamp grant Sept. 5,
2008) ("SES Grant").
*A     See, e.g., SES Grant at 2, « 2; DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC, Applications for
Authority to Launch and Operate the DBS and Ka—band Payloads on the DIRECTV
98 Satellite, Order and Authorization, 21 FCC Red 8028, 8038 «[ 8 (2006); Loral
Skynet do Brasil, Petition for Declaratory Ruling to Add Estrela do Sul 1, a Ku—
band Satellite, to the Permitted Space Station List, Order, 18 FCC Red 26751,
26758 €| 20 (2003).


Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
December 15, 2009
Page 3


requirements." The underlying purposes of the bond requirement are to "help deter
speculative satellite applications, and help expedite provision of service to the
public.”6 Given that the Intelsat 15 satellite has launched and is expected to begin
operations shortly, the requested clarification would be consistent with the stated
purposes of the bond requirement.‘

        For the foregoing reasons, Intelsat requests a 30—day extension of time to
satisfy the bond requirement of paragraph 13 of the grant, and a clarification that if
Intelsat commences operations on Intelsat 15 prior to the due date of the bond, then
no bond is required.

                                              Respectfully submitted,

                                              /s/ Jennifer D. Hindin

                                              Jennifer D. Hindin
                                              Counselfor Intelsat North America LLC

ce:    Robert Nelson
       Cassandra Thomas
       Fern Jarmulnek
       Karl Kensinger
       Andrea Kelly
       Stephen J. Duall
       Kathyrn Medley

5       See Amendment ofthe Commission‘s Space Station Licensing Rules and
Policies, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 18
FCC Red 10760, 10825 «[ 167 (2003) ("First Space Station Reform Order").
6      Id.
7       See id. Intelsat also notes that although the application for Intelsat 15
contains new frequency bands not previously authorized on Intelsat 709 and omits
certain frequency bands authorized on Intelsat 709, it is otherwise akin to a
replacement for that satellite. The Commission has determined that the bond
requirement is altogether unnecessary in the case of replacement satellites, as these
applications are "intended to continue service, and would not be filed for
speculative purposes." Id.


                                          ANNEX 1

                          DECLARATION OF TOBIAS NASSIF

        I, Tobias Nassif, Vice President, Satellite Operations and Engineering, hereby

certify under penalty of perjury as follows:

        The Intelsat 15 space station was successfully launched on November 30, 2009.

The space station is currently positioned at 63.15° E.L., where in—orbit testing of the

satellite is in process. To date, all test results have been nominal. Assuming that no

anomalies occur, testing will be completed in December 2009, and the satellite will then

be drifted to its assigned orbital location, 85.15° E.L. Operation of I»ntelsat 15 at 8§5.15°

E.L. is currently expected to begin on January 18, 2010.



                                                   /s/ Tobias Nassif
                                                   Tobias Nassif
                                                   VP, Satellite Operations and
                                                   Engineering
                                                   Intelsat Corporation

Dated: 15 December 2009



Document Created: 2015-10-19 17:52:34
Document Modified: 2015-10-19 17:52:34

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