Attachment Narrative & Exhibits

This document pretains to SAT-MOD-20120703-00110 for Modification on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATMOD2012070300110_958723

                                         Before the
                             Federal Communications Commission
                                    Washington, DC 20554



      In the Matter of

      Intelsat License LLC                             File No. SAT-MOD- _____________

      Application to Modify Authorization for
      Intelsat 9 (S2380)




                      APPLICATION OF INTELSAT LICENSE LLC
                    TO MODIFY AUTHORIZATION FOR INTELSAT 9

       Intelsat License LLC (“Intelsat”), pursuant to Section 25.117 of the rules of the Federal

Communications Commission (“Commission” or “FCC”), 47 C.F.R. § 25.117, hereby seeks to

modify the authorization for the Intelsat 9 (Call Sign S2380) satellite. Specifically, this

modification seeks permanent authority to relocate Intelsat 9 to, and to operate the satellite at,

43.10° W.L. in inclined orbit mode.1

       In accordance with the requirements of the Commission’s rules,2 this application has

been filed electronically as an attachment to FCC Form 312. Intelsat provides the technical

information relating to the proposed modification on Schedule S and in narrative form, as

contained in the attached Engineering Statement, pursuant to Section 25.114 of the

Commission’s rules.3




1
        Intelsat expects to begin inclined orbit operations after traffic has been transferred and
before the satellite begins drifting. The satellite’s expected end of life, assuming the drift and
inclined orbit operations, is September 2023.
2
        47 C.F.R. § 25.117(c).
3
        47 C.F.R. § 25.114.


        I.          PROPOSED MODIFICATION

        By this modification, Intelsat requests authority to relocate Intelsat 9 to, and operate the

satellite at, 43.10° W.L. following traffic transfer to the Intelsat 21 satellite that is expected to be

launched on August 15, 2012.4 Intelsat 9 is currently authorized to operate at 58.0° W.L.5

Intelsat expects to begin drifting Intelsat 9 on November 1, 2012 and have the satellite on station

at 43.10º W.L. by the end of December 2012.6 During the drift of Intelsat 9 from 58.0° W.L. to

43.10° W.L., Intelsat will utilize only the satellite’s TT&C frequencies. The specific TT&C

frequencies are as follows:

Uplink:

14494.5 MHz (V)
14000.5 MHz (RHCP)

Downlink:

11700.5 MHz (V)
11702.5 MHz (V)
11700.5 MHz (RHCP)
11702.5 MHz (RHCP)
11700.5 MHz (H)
11702.5 MHz (H)

        Once located at 43.10° W.L., Intelsat also will operate the satellite’s communications

frequencies. Set forth below is a comparison of the frequencies on Intelsat 9, as well as the

frequencies currently being operated on Intelsat 11 at 43.0º W.L.:


4
       See Policy Branch Information; Satellite Space Applications Accepted for Filing, Report
No. SAT-00862, File No. SAT-RPL-20120326-00061 (Apr. 27, 2012) (Public Notice).
5
       See PanAmSat Licensee Corp. Application for Authority to Construct, Launch and
Operate an Expansion Band Satellite in its Separate International Communications Satellite
System, Order and Final Authorization, 13 FCC Rcd 4743 (1997) and PanAmSat Licensee Corp.
Application for Authority to Use Extended Ku-Band Frequencies for Domestic Service, Order
and Authorization, 20 FCC Rcd 14642 (2005).
6
       Intelsat has a pending STA request for this redeployment. See Intelsat License LLC
Request for Special Temporary Authority, File No. SAT-STA-20120621-00103 (filed June 21,
2012).

                                                  -2-


                                             Intelsat 9                        Intelsat 11
         5925 – 6425                             √                                  √
         3700 - 4200                             √                                  √

        12750 – 13250                                                                √
        13750 – 14000                                                                √
        14000 – 14500                             √
        10700 – 10950                                                                √
        10950 – 11200                                                                √
        11200 – 11450                                                                √
        11450 – 11700                             √
        11700 - 12200                             √


       Intelsat has a pending waiver request to allow the 11700-12200 MHz and 14000-14500

MHz bands to remain vacant for a reasonable period of more than 90 days following the

departure of Intelsat 3R from 43.10° W.L.7 In that pending request, Intelsat noted that it had a

concrete plan to bring Intelsat 9 to the nominal 43.0º E.L. location in the fall of 2012 following

the launch of Intelsat 21, as is contemplated by this license modification application.8


       II.         PUBLIC INTEREST SHOWING

       Grant of this modification application will serve the public interest by enabling Intelsat to

expand customer services at 43.10° W.L. At 43.10° W.L., Intelsat 9 will be collocated with

Intelsat 11 (Call Sign S2237), which currently operates at the 43.0° W.L. location.9

       Grant of this modification application will not result in an increased risk of harmful

interference. As noted above, Intelsat will operate only the above listed TT&C frequencies

during the drift, and will coordinate its TT&C transmissions with operators of satellites in the

drift path. Should any interference occur during the drift, Intelsat will take all reasonable steps to

7
      See Policy Branch Information; Satellite Space Applications Accepted for Filing, Report
No. SAT-00737, File No. SAT-MSC-20101102-00232 (Nov. 12, 2010) (Public Notice).
8
      See id. at 2-3.
9
      See Policy Branch Information; Actions Taken, Report No. SAT-00617, File No. SAT-
MOD-20090108-00004 (July 10, 2009) (Public Notice).

                                                 -3-


eliminate such interference. Once Intelsat 9 is on-station at 43.10° W.L., Intelsat will operate the

communications payload and TT&C frequencies in conformance with its coordination

agreements regarding the nominal 43.0° W.L. orbital location and the FCC’s rules governing

operations vis-à-vis adjacent locations.

        III.         WAIVER

        Intelsat also requests that the waiver previously granted Intelsat 9 of footnote NG 104 of

Section 2.106 and footnote 2 of Section 25.202(a)(1) with respect to the domestic use of the

11450-11700 MHz band continue to apply at 43.10° W.L.10


        IV.          ORBITAL DEBRIS STATEMENT

        Intelsat has assessed and limited the probability of the space station becoming a source of

debris as a result of collision with large debris or other operational space stations. Intelsat 9 will

not be located at the same orbital location as another satellite or at an orbital location that has an

overlapping station-keeping volume with another satellite.11 Further, Intelsat is not aware of any

other FCC-licensed system, or any other system applied for and under consideration by the FCC,

having an overlapping station-keeping volume with Intelsat 9 at 43.10° W.L. Finally, Intelsat is

not aware of any system with an overlapping station-keeping volume with Intelsat 9 at 43.10º

W.L. that is the subject of an ITU filing and that is either in orbit or progressing toward launch.


        V.           11450-11700 MHZ FREQUENCY BAND

        Intelsat understands that operations in the 11450-11700 MHz frequency band are subject to

certain limitations and obligations, which Intelsat accepts and will fulfill. Specifically, for operations in

the 11450-11700 MHz frequency band, Intelsat accepts the following condition:


10
      PanAmSat Licensee Corp. Application for Authority to Use Extended Ku-Band
Frequencies for Domestic Service, Order and Authorization, 20 FCC Rcd 14642 (2005).
11
      Intelsat 9 and Intelsat 11 will be operated in adjacent station-keeping boxes.

                                                      -4-


      Intelsat’s use of the 11450-11700 MHz band (space-to-Earth) is subject to footnote
       US211 to the United States Table of Frequency Allocations, 47 C.F.R. § 2.106, US211,
       which urges applicants for airborne or space station assignments to take all practicable
       steps to protect radio astronomy observations in the adjacent bands from harmful
       interference, consistent with footnote US74.

       VI.         CONCLUSION

       For the reasons set forth above, Intelsat respectfully requests that the Commission grant

this modification application.


                                                     Respectfully submitted,

                                                     Intelsat License LLC

                                                     By: /s/ Susan H. Crandall

                                                     Susan H. Crandall
                                                     Assistant General Counsel
                                                     Intelsat Corporation




Jennifer D. Hindin
Colleen King
WILEY REIN LLP
1776 K Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 719-7000

July 3, 2012




                                               -5-


                                           Exhibit A
               FCC Form 312, Response to Question 34: Foreign Ownership


        The Commission previously approved foreign ownership in Intelsat License LLC
(“Intelsat”), in the Intelsat-Serafina Order.1 In December 2009 and October 2011, the
Commission also approved pro forma changes in Intelsat’s foreign ownership.2 There have been
no other material changes to Intelsat’s foreign ownership since the date of the Intelsat-Serafina
Order.




1
      Intelsat Holdings, Ltd. and Serafina Holdings Limited, Consolidated Application for
Consent to Transfer of Control of Holders of Title II and Title III Authorizations, Memorandum
Opinion and Order, 22 FCC Rcd 22,151 (2007).
2
       See Intelsat North America LLC, Intelsat LLC, PanAmSat Licensee Corp., PanAmSat H-2
Licensee Corp., and Intelsat New Dawn Company, Ltd., Applications for Pro Forma Transfer of
Control, File Nos. SAT-T/C-20091125-00128, SAT-T/C-20091125-00124, SAT-T/C-20091125-
00127, SAT-T/C-20091125-00125, SAT-T/C-20091125-00126, SES-T/C-20091125-01505,
SES-T/C-20091125-01502, SES-T/C-20091125-01506, SES-T/C-20091125-01504 and SES-
T/C-20091125-01503 (granted Dec. 3, 2009); Intelsat Application for Pro Forma Transfer of
Control, File Nos. SAT-T/C-20110810-00160, SAT-T/C-20110811-00161, SES-T/C-20110811-
00948, SES-T/C-20110812-00963 (granted Oct. 13, 2011), and 0004825139 (granted Oct. 19,
2011).


                                             Exhibit B
             FCC Form 312, Response to Question 36: Cancelled Authorizations


Intelsat License LLC (“Intelsat”) has never had an FCC license “revoked.” However, on June
26, 2000, the International Bureau “cancelled” two Ka-band satellite authorizations issued to a
former Intelsat entity, PanAmSat Licensee Corp. (“PanAmSat”),3 based on the Bureau’s finding
that PanAmSat had not satisfied applicable construction milestones.4 In that same order, the
Bureau denied related applications to modify the cancelled authorizations. PanAmSat filed an
application for review of the Bureau’s decision, which the Commission denied, and subsequently
filed an appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit,
which was dismissed in January 2003 at PanAmSat’s request. Notwithstanding the fact that the
Bureau’s action does not seem to be the kind of revocation action contemplated by question 36,
Intelsat is herein making note of the decision in the interest of absolute candor and out of an
abundance of caution. In any event, the Bureau’s action with respect to PanAmSat does not
reflect on Intelsat’s basic qualifications, which are well-established and a matter of public record.




3
       All licenses previously held by PanAmSat Licensee Corp. have been assigned to Intelsat
License LLC. See IBFS File Nos. SAT-ASG-20101203-00252 (granted Dec. 23, 2010), SES-
ASG-20101203-0150 (granted Dec. 20, 2010), and SES-ASG-20101206-01502 (granted Dec.
20, 2010).
4
       See PanAmSat Licensee Corp., Memorandum Opinion and Order, 15 FCC Rcd 18720 (IB
2000).


                                          Exhibit C
                          FCC Form 312, Response to Question 40:
                Officers, Directors, and Ten Percent or Greater Shareholders

The officers and directors/managers of Intelsat License LLC are as follows:
Officers:
Michael McDonnell, Chairman
Flavien Bachabi, Deputy Chairman
Phillip Spector, Secretary
Simon Van De Weg, Director, Finance

Board of Managers:
Michael McDonnell
Flavien Bachabi
Phillip Spector

The business address of all Intelsat License LLC officers and members of the Board of Managers
is:

4 rue Albert Borschette
L-1246 Luxembourg

Intelsat License LLC is a Delaware limited liability company that is wholly owned by Intelsat
License Holdings LLC, also a Delaware limited liability company. Intelsat License Holdings
LLC is wholly owned by Intelsat Jackson Holdings S.A., a Luxembourg company. Intelsat
Jackson Holdings S.A. is wholly owned by Intelsat (Luxembourg) S.A., a Luxembourg
company. Intelsat (Luxembourg) S.A. is wholly owned by Intelsat S.A., a Luxembourg
company. Intelsat S.A. is wholly owned by Intelsat Holdings S.A., a Luxembourg company.
Intelsat Holdings S.A. is wholly owned by Intelsat Investment Holdings S.à r.l., a Luxembourg
company. Intelsat Investment Holdings S.à r.l. is wholly owned by Intelsat Global Holdings
S.A., a Luxembourg company. Each of these entities may be contacted at the following address:
4 rue Albert Borschette, L-1246 Luxembourg.
Intelsat Global Holding S.A.’s ownership was approved by the Commission as part of the
Intelsat-Serafina Order and the recent Intelsat Pro Forma and is incorporated by reference. See
Intelsat Holdings, Ltd. and Serafina Holdings Limited, Consolidated Application for Consent to
Transfer of Control of Holders of Title II and Title III Authorizations, Memorandum Opinion and
Order, 22 FCC Rcd 22,151 (2007) (“Intelsat-Serafina Order”); Intelsat Application for Pro
Forma Transfer of Control, File Nos. SAT-T/C-20110810-00160, SAT-T/C-20110811-00161,
SES-T/C-20110811-00948, SES-T/C-20110812-00963 (granted Oct. 13, 2011), and 0004825139
(granted Oct. 19, 2011) (“Intelsat Pro Forma”). On May 16, 2012, the International Bureau
granted an application to transfer control of Intelsat pursuant to a public offering of newly issued
voting shares by Intelsat, subsequent voting share sales by current shareholders and possible
private placements of newly issued voting shares. In the Matter of Intelsat Global Holdings,
S.A., Applications to Transfer Control of Intelsat Licenses and Authorizations from BC Partners
Holdings Limited to Public Ownership, Order, DA 12-768 (rel. May 16, 2012). This transaction
has not yet been consummated.



Document Created: 2012-07-03 14:43:10
Document Modified: 2012-07-03 14:43:10

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