Attachment 1989AMSC Request for

1989AMSC Request for

REQUEST submitted by AMSC

Request for Waiver Table

1989-12-18

This document pretains to SAT-MSC-19891219-00050 for Miscellaneous on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATMSC1989121900050_1058157

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     LOUIS GLRMAN                                     (202) 328—8200                                                        NE  L
     MICHAEL K KURTS                                                                                                 OF COU
                                                TELECOPIER (202) 462—1784             e                                    ——
     JEROME K BLASK                                                              § 5oo fln d p 3 5n yM MERBERT C. HARRIS
     WILLIAM D FREEDMAN                                                          3k hn s flls | i ;{ ‘ $ J LEONARD M GARAVALIA
     LON C LEVIN                                                                                    *«     FRANK A. RONDINELL
     jack w «Himney                           December 18,           1989          UEC 2 8 1989                  CONSLITING ENGINEERS
     jOEL M MARGOLUS®
     DANIEL E: SMITH®
     * ~O1 ADMITTED i\ DC
                                                                            DOr':neSt ’_C Facmities Divigi
                                                                               catellit  e Radig Branch
                                                                                                             "
             Donna R. Searcy
             Secretary
             Federal Communications Commission                                              |o—ps§s—M1 SC¢— 70
             1919 M Street,       N.W.
            Washington, D.C.          20054

                                              RE:      —AMSC Provision of Mobile Satellite
                                                       Services Via Inmarsat



             Dear Ms.       Searcy:

                 Attached is a Request for Waiver of the Table of Allocations
            to enable American Mobile Satellite Corporation ("AMSC") to use the
            Inmarsat space segment to provide mobile satellite services until
            AMSC space seqgment is available.  Due to scheduling difficulties,
            the signature page filed today is a facsinmile of the original. The
            original signature page will be subnitted to the FCC upon receipt.

                 If you have any questions                     regarding            this      matter,             please
            contact the undersigned.

                                                       Very truly yours,
                                                      2.             / P
                                                izmAarz      &/A.
                                                  Lon C. Levin
                                                       Counsel to American Mobile
                                                           Satellite Corporation




am


                                Before the
                     FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                          Washington, D.C. 20554



  In the Matter of




                                             en NNi
  Request for Waiver of                               File No.
  Table of Allocations



                            REQUEST _FOR WAIVER


        American Mobile Satellite Corporation ("AMSC"), hereby

  requests, to the extent necessary, a waiver of the Table of

.. Allocations, Section 2.106 of the Commission‘s Rules, so that it

 may provide via Inmarsat all mobile satellite services in the

 bands 1530—1544 MHz (G@ownlink) and 1626.5—1645.5 MHz           (uplink) on

  a temporary basis.     This waiver is necessary for AMSC to begin

  offering its mobile satellite services as soon as possible.

        AMSC is the carrier authorized to provide mobile satellite

  service in the United States.*‘    AMSC intends to offer service
 over the Inmarsat system utilizing space segment capacity leased

  from Comsat, the U.S. Signatory to Inmarsat.*‘          AMSC must use the


 *‘Memorandum Opinion, Order and Authorization ("AMSC Authorization
 Order"), 4 FCC Red. 6041 (1989).   AMSC holds the license for both
 mobile satellite service ("MSS") and aeronautical safety service
  ("AaMSsSs(R)") .

 Z*‘AMSC has leased capacity from Comsat on a Marisat satellite to be
 located at 106.5° W.L.       See Agreement Between Communications
 Satellite Corporation and American Mobile Satellite Corporation for
 Domestic Mobile Satellite Service, filed August 11, 1989, amendment
 filed September 26, 1989.        AMSC intends to lease additional
 capacity from Comsat as required. Furthermore, AMSC will apply for
 authorization to operate mobile terminals using Inmarsat space
 segment on a temporary basis.       Consistent with the U.S. mobile
 satellite service requlatory structure, AMSC expects that resellers
 of AMSC capacity will also file blanket licenses to operate mobile


Inmarsat space seqgment until its own system is fully operational

because only Inmarsat has available L—band capacity compatible

with the L—band spectrum assigned to AMSC.5‘               The portion of the
L—band in which Inmarsat operates is allocated to the maritime

mobile satellite service.        Thus,       in order to provide mobile

satellite services other than maritime, AMSC needs the waiver

requested herein.

        Grant of the waiver will further the Commission‘s goals with

respect to the expeditious implementation of mobile satellite

services.*‘     Through the use of Inmarsat‘s facilities, AMSC will

be able to provide mobile sétellite services to the public

substantially before its dedicated system is operational.*‘                   This


file blanket licenses to operate mobile units using Inmarsat
capacity on a temporary basis. Accordingly, AMSC‘s instant waiver
request is intended to cover current and future AMSC use of
Inmarsat space segment and associated mobile ternminal operation.

*‘AMSC    is   authorized   to   operate       on   the   bands   1545—1559    MHz
(downlink)  and 1646.5—1660.5 MHz    (uplink),               which have been
allocated domestically to AMSS(R) and MSS.                    These bands are
adjacent to Inmarsat‘s L—band frequencies.

*A waiver is appropriate when it forwards the public interest in
a new service without undermining the underlying rationale for the
rule.    See WAIT Radio v. FCC, 418 F. 2d 1153            (D.C. Cir. 1969).     In
this instance,     this waiver will permit expeditious delivery of
mobile satellite service to the U.S. public while not affecting the
services already provided in the maritime bands. Indeed, Inmarsat
and Comsat management of the Inmarsat space segment will assure
that authorized services will be unaffected by AMSC‘s use of the
Inmarsat systenm.  Additionally, temporary non—conforming uses of
the spectrum are permitted as long as there is no harmful
interference caused to existing services assigned to the band. See
Section 2.102 of the Commission‘s Rules.

®‘AMSC anticipates that service via Inmarsat could be available as
early as mid—1990.      The Commission has recognized the usefulness
of the Inmarsat system for AMSC‘s early service.          Inmarsat
International Aeronautical Service Order, 4 FCC Red 6072 (1989) at

                                         2


will enable AMSC to develop consumer interest,    test equipment,

assist resellers and users in developing and applying new

services,   and acquire operational experience that will be

impdrtant to the efficient management of the U.S. mobile

satellite service network.    In particular, AMSC will refine its

ability to administer the System to ensure that mobile satellite

services can be provided while protecting the integrity of

aeronautical safety services.

     Furthermore,   because the systems use adjacent L—band

spectrum, the AMSC facilities used to operate with Inmarsat can

easily be designed to operate with the AMSC dedicated systen.

These facilities will include access and control equipment

consisting of modem and signal distribution assémblies and a

Network Operations Center, which is responsible for the

supervision and management of the resources and services

available to the users.   Thus,   the use of these bands for AMSC‘s

services will enable continuity of service during transition from

the Inmarsat space segment to the AMSC space seqgment.

     Therefore, AMSC respectfully requests that the Commission

grant expeditiously the requested waiver so that AMSC may begin




para. 51 n. 23.  Under FCC milestones, AMSC‘s first satellite is
to be launched July 31, 1993.


 offering mobile satellite services as early as possible over
 Inmarsat facllitises.

                                       Raspectfully subnitted,

                                       AMERICAN MOBILE SATZELLZTE



                                By :     P
                                  —Geprge Telimann
                                   President and Chief? Operating
                                    Oofficer
 Louis Gurman
  Lon C. Levin
‘ Glenn §. Richards

\QGurman, Kurtis, Blask &
  Freedman, Charterced
 1400 l6th Street, N.W.
Suite 500
Washington, D —C. 20036
 (20¢2)   328~820 0

Its Attorneys

Dacember 18,      1989



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