SES Response to Comm

REPLY submitted by SES Americom, Inc.

SES Response to Eutelsat Comments

2018-12-04

This document pretains to SAT-PPL-20180815-00062 for Permitted List on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATPPL2018081500062_1587617

Before the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) SES Americom, Inc. ) File No. SAT-PPL-20180815-00062 ) Call Sign S3037 Request to Add NSS-11 to the Permitted ) Space Station List for Ku-band Operations ) RESPONSE OF SES AMERICOM, INC. SES Americom, Inc. (“SES”) hereby responds to the comments filed by Eutelsat S.A. (“Eutelsat”) 1 with respect to the above-referenced petition for U.S. market access for the Gibraltar-licensed NSS-11 Ku-band spacecraft at 176° E.L. (the “NSS-11 Petition”). Eutelsat does not oppose the SES request for U.S. market access for NSS-11, and there is no obstacle to expedited Commission action to allow U.S. customers to begin using the spacecraft beginning on January 1, 2019. SES provides herein minor clarifications to the NSS-11 Petition that address the bulk of the Eutelsat Comments. SES strongly opposes, however, Eutelsat’s suggestion that authority for NSS-11 to serve U.S. earth stations in the 12.7-12.75 GHz band should be limited to mobility services. 2 Eutelsat has provided no justification for such a restriction, and the Eutelsat arguments mischaracterize the applicable Commission precedent. Specifically, Eutelsat appears to rely on a misreading of the decision relating to its own EUTELSAT 172B satellite as the basis for its claim that NSS-11 should be permitted to provide only mobility services to the U.S. using the 12.7-12.75 GHz frequencies. Eutelsat provides a 1 Comments of Eutelsat S.A., File No. SAT-PPL-20180815-00062, filed Nov. 19, 2018 (the “Eutelsat Comments”). 2 See id. at 3-4.

brief and rather confusing version of the EUTELSAT 172B proceeding history, but having reviewed the relevant documents, SES sees nothing that would support Eutelsat’s attempt to hamstring the operations of NSS-11. The record shows that Eutelsat challenged a number of the specific conditions initially imposed on U.S. operations of EUTELSAT 172B in the 12.7-12.75 GHz band, arguing that the conditions were overly broad and unreasonable, particularly given the fact that EUTELSAT 172B was “optimized to communicate” with mobile terminals aboard aircraft and ships at sea. 3 Eutelsat asked the Commission to either limit the scope of certain challenged conditions to operations of EUTELSAT 172B with fixed earth stations or to eliminate those provisions entirely. 4 In support of its arguments, Eutelsat cited to other Commission authorizations involving the 12.7-12.75 GHz frequencies that did not include the provisions Eutelsat found objectionable in the case of EUTELSAT 172B. 5 The International Bureau granted the ES 172 Clarification Request and reissued the license for EUTELSAT 172B with modified language that omitted the specific conditions Eutelsat had opposed. 6 The Eutelsat Comments suggest that Eutelsat believes grant of the ES 172 Clarification Request was premised on EUTELSAT 172B’s use of the 12.7-12.75 GHz frequencies for mobility services and that therefore EUTELSAT 172B is only permitted to provide mobility 3 ES 172 LLC Petition for Clarification or Reconsideration of License Conditions, and Request for Stay, File No. SAT-RPL-20170927-00136, filed May 29, 2018 (“ES 172 Clarification Request”) at 1. 4 Id. at 2-3. 5 See id. at 7 & n.8, citing Horizons-3 License LLC, Call Sign S2947, File No. SAT-LOA- 20151202-00080, granted July 6, 2016 (the “Horizons-3 Grant”). 6 ES 172 LLC, File No. SAT-RPL-20170927-00136, grant reissued Sept. 5, 2018 (“Reissued ES 172 Grant”). 2

services in that segment in the U.S. 7 Eutelsat seeks to impose the same restriction on NSS-11 that it assumes applies to EUTELSAT 172B. 8 The Reissued ES 172 Grant, however, provides no support for Eutelsat’s view. Nothing in the authorization indicates that EUTELSAT 172B’s use of the 12.7-12.75 GHz frequencies is constrained to mobility services. Thus, contrary to Eutelsat’s claims, the EUTELSAT 172B precedent does not justify imposing any limitations on the types of services that NSS-11 can provide to U.S. customers in the 12.7-12.75 GHz frequencies. Instead, the Commission should authorize NSS-11 to utilize this band segment for any type of fixed-satellite service to U.S. users, subject to conditions consistent with those that have been imposed in comparable circumstances, including the Horizons-3 Grant and the Reissued ES 172 Grant. The remaining issues raised in the Eutelsat Comments are easily dispatched. First, Eutelsat notes that NSS-11 operations in the 12.2-12.75 GHz frequencies should be authorized subject to earth station-specific licensing, as that band segment does not appear in the list of frequencies identified as eligible for the Permitted Space Station List under Section 25.103 of the Commission’s rules. 9 SES acknowledges that the NSS-11 Petition should have stated that SES was seeking U.S. market access, rather than inclusion on the Permitted Space Station List, for the 12.2-12.75 GHz band segment, but this distinction is irrelevant to the Commission’s analysis. Under the DISCO II decision, the same framework that governs requests by foreign-licensed 7 See Eutelsat Comments at 3 (“Eutelsat understands that operations in the 12.7-12.75 GHz band segment in the United States are limited to mobility applications”). 8 See id. at 3-4 (in light of “the policy and precedent established in the EUTELSAT 127B proceeding, the Commission similarly should limit NSS-11’s access to the 12.7-12.75 GHz band segment to mobility applications”). 9 Id. at 2-3 & n.4, citing 47 C.F.R. § 25.103. 3

satellites for addition to the Permitted Space Station List applies to petitions seeking U.S. market access for bands not included in the list. 10 Thus, the public interest rationale presented in the NSS-11 Petition for allowing the satellite to serve U.S. customers 11 provides a valid basis for a grant of market access in the 12.2-12.75 GHz band. Finally, Eutelsat alleges that the NSS-11 adjacent satellite compatibility analysis is lacking in some respects, although Eutelsat does not identify any unsatisfied Commission rules and admits that none of the matters is disqualifying. 12 Nevertheless, SES is attaching for inclusion in the record an updated compatibility analysis that addresses the Eutelsat concerns. For the foregoing reasons, the Commission should expeditiously grant U.S. market access for NSS-11 in the Ku-band frequencies identified in the NSS-11 Petition. The Eutelsat request to restrict NSS-11 to mobility operations in the 12.7-12.75 GHz frequencies must be rejected as unwarranted and inconsistent with Commission precedent. Respectfully submitted, SES Americom, Inc. By: /s/ Petra A. Vorwig Of Counsel Petra A. Vorwig Karis A. Hastings Senior Legal and Regulatory Counsel SatCom Law LLC SES Americom, Inc. 1317 F Street, N.W., Suite 400 1129 20th Street N.W., Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20004 Washington, D.C. 20036 Dated: December 4, 2018 10 See Amendment of the Commission’s Policies to Allow Non-U.S. Licensed Space Stations providing Domestic and International Service in the United States, Report & Order, 12 FCC Rcd 24094 (1997) (“DISCO II”) at ¶ 192. 11 NSS-11 Petition, Legal Narrative at 2-3. 12 Eutelsat Comments at 4-5. 4

Annex B: Compatibility with Adjacent Satellites At 174 E Uplink UPLINK Ku-band 14100 MHz SES topocentric sep. 2.2 deg off-axis on-axis k -228.6 dBK SATH -29.6 10.6 NETH/NETV -29.6 4.6 CHTV -29.6 -12.2 SES carriers SARV NERH/NERV CHRH Bandwidth, MHz 36 36 36 UL flange power dens., dBW/Hz -50 -50 -50 UL ant. Dia, m 9 4.5 0.65 UL ant. Gain, dBi 60.6 54.6 37.8 ADJ. UL EIRP, dBW 86.2 80.1 63.3 off-axis on-axis UL flange power, dBW 25.6 25.6 25.6 NUH2/NUV2 WORST -34.4 -0.2 UL EIRP density, dBW/Hz 10.6 4.6 -12.2 ADH4/ADV4 FWD Bes -41.4 -7.3 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 ADH4/ADV4 RTN Best -30.6 -7.9 Off-ax. EIRP dens, dBW/Hz -29.6 -29.6 -29.6 TV Carrier -42.1 -7.9 G/T, dB/K 12.13 5.59 6.42 EUH2/EUV2 Worst -30.4 -15.3 C/N (thermal), dB 44.3 31.8 15.8 EUH2/EUV Adjacent Satellite carriers NUH2/NUV2 WORSTADH4/ADV4 FWD BestADH4/ADV4 RTN Best TV Carrier 2 Worst UL flange power dens., dBW/Hz -54.8 -61.9 -51.0 -62.5 -50.8 UL ant. Dia, m 4.5 4.5 1.2 4.5 0.5 UL ant. Gain, dBi 54.6 54.6 43.1 54.6 35.5 UL EIRP, dBW 70.7 58.4 47.6 69.0 39.1 UL flange power, dBW 16.1 3.8 4.5 14.4 3.6 UL EIRP density, dBW/Hz -0.2 -7.3 -7.9 -7.9 -15.3 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 20.4 20.4 Off-ax. EIRP dens, dBW/Hz -34.4 -41.4 -30.6 -42.1 -30.4 G/T, dB/K -0.7 3.8 7 3.8 -1.5 C/N (thermal), dB 20.7 18.1 20.4 17.4 4.3 Summary SATH NETH/NETV CHTV Uplink C/I into SES carriers due to interference from adj. satellite SES C/N 15.3 31.8 38.6 SES carriers C/I into SES 52.7 46.6 29.8 Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV C/N+I 15.30 31.63 29.29 NUH2/NUV2 WORST 45.0 38.9 22.1 ADH4/ADV4 FWD Best 52.0 46.0 29.2 ADH4/ADV4 RTN Best 41.2 35.1 18.3 TV Carrier 52.7 46.6 29.8 TV EUH2/EUV2 Summary Adj ADH4/ADV4 ADH4/ADV4 FWD Bes ADH4/ADV4 RTN Bes Carrier Worst Adj C/N 20.7 18.1 20.4 17.4 4.3 C/I from SES 29.3 22.3 21.7 21.6 14.3 Uplink C/I into adjacent sat carriers due to interference from SES carriers C/N+I 20.13 16.69 17.97 16.00 3.88 SES carriers Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV NUH2/NUV2 WORST 29.3 29.3 29.3 ADH4/ADV4 FWD Best 22.3 22.3 22.3 ADH4/ADV4 RTN Best 21.7 21.7 21.7 TV Carrier 21.6 21.6 21.6 EUH2/EUV2 Worst 14.3 14.3 14.3

Downlink DOWNLINK Ku-band 12700 MHz SES topocentric sep. 2.2 deg off-axis on-axis k -228.6 dBK SATH -9.9 6.5 NETH/NETV -0.7 21.0 CHTV -0.7 18.5 SES carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV Bandwidth, MHz 54 36 36 Carrier EIRP density, dBW/Hz -30.4 -21.2 -21.2 Satellite EIRP max, dBW 46.96 54.41 54.41 ADJ. Rx ES ant. Dia., m 0.65 1.2 0.9 ADH4/ADV4 -5.3 8.8 Rx ES ant. Gain, dBi 36.9 42.2 39.7 ADH4/ADV4 FWD Bes -5.3 16.5 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 ADH4/ADV4 RTN Best -5.3 28.0 Noise Temp, K 148 162 162 TV Carrier -6.0 13.3 C/N (thermal), dB 6.4 20.5 18.0 EUH2/EUV2 Worst -5.3 28.0 EUH2/EUV Adjacent Satellite carriers ADH4/ADV4 WORSTADH4/ADV4 FWD BestADH4/ADV4 RTN Best TV Carrier 2 Worst Carrier EIRP density, dBW/Hz -25.74 -25.70 -25.70 -26.40 -25.70 Downlink EIRP, dBW 43.6 38.9 29 49.5 24.1 Rx ES ant. Dia., m 0.5 1.2 4.5 0.9 4.5 Rx ES ant. Gain, dBi 34.6 42.2 53.7 39.7 53.7 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 20.4 20.4 Noise Temp, K 205 173 189 166 189 C/N (thermal), dB 7.3 15.7 26.8 12.7 26.8 SES carriers Summary SATH NETH/NETV CHTV Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV SES C/N 6.4 18.0 17.8 ADH4/ADV4 11.8 26.3 23.8 C/I into SES 12.5 27.0 24.5 ADH4/ADV4 FWD Best 11.8 26.3 23.8 C/N+I 5.4 17.5 17.0 ADH4/ADV4 RTN Best 11.8 26.3 23.8 Minimum required C/N -2.4 13.0 13.0 TV Carrier 12.5 27.0 24.5 Excess Margin 8.8 5.0 4.8 EUH2/EUV2 Worst 11.8 26.3 23.8 TV EUH2/EUV2 Uplink C/I into adjacent sat carriers due to interference from SES carriers Summary Adj ADH4/ADV4 ADH4/ADV4 FWD BestADH4/ADV4 RTN Best Carrier Worst SES carriers Adj C/N 7.3 15.7 26.8 12.7 26.8 Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV C/I from SES 18.8 26.4 37.9 23.2 23.2 ADH4/ADV4 18.8 9.6 9.6 C/N+I 7.02 15.35 26.47 12.33 21.64 ADH4/ADV4 FWD Best 26.4 17.2 17.2 ADH4/ADV4 RTN Best 37.9 28.7 28.7 TV Carrier 23.2 14.0 14.0 EUH2/EUV2 Worst 37.9 28.7 28.7 2

Overall 176E SATH NETH/NETV CHTV C/N Uplink 15.3 31.8 38.6 C/N Downlink 6.4 18.0 17.8 C/I Uplink 174E 52.7 46.6 29.8 C/I Downlink 174E 12.5 27.0 24.5 C/I Uplink 178E 40.3 34.2 17.4 C/I Downlink 178E 16.4 31.0 28.5 C/N+I overall 4.7 17.1 13.9 C/N required -6.1 6.9 6.9 margin 10.8 10.2 7.0 ADH4/ADV4 ADH4/ADV4 EUH2/EUV2 ADH4/ADV4 TV Carrier FWD Best RTN Best Worst 174E C/N Uplink 20.7 18.1 20.4 17.4 4.3 C/N Downlink 7.3 15.7 26.8 12.7 26.8 C/I Uplink 176E 29.3 22.3 21.7 21.6 14.3 C/I Downlink 176E 18.8 26.4 37.9 23.2 23.2 C/I Uplink 172E 29.3 22.3 21.7 21.6 14.3 C/I Downlink 172E 18.8 26.4 37.9 23.2 23.2 C/N+I overall 6.5 12.3 16.0 10.2 3.4 C/N required -0.4 8.2 10.1 3.9 2.9 margin 6.9 4.1 5.9 6.3 0.5 3

At 178E Uplink UPLINK Ku-band 14250 MHz SES topocentric sep. 2.2 deg off-axis on-axis k -228.6 dBK SATH -29.6 10.7 NETH/NETV -29.6 4.7 CHTV -29.6 -12.1 SES carriers SARV NERH/NERV CHRH Bandwidth, MHz 36 36 36 UL flange power dens., dBW/Hz -50 -50 -50 UL ant. Dia, m 9 4.5 0.65 UL ant. Gain, dBi 60.7 54.7 37.9 ADJ. UL EIRP, dBW 86.3 80.2 63.4 off-axis on-axis UL flange power, dBW 25.6 25.6 25.6 SATH-2 -29.6 10.7 UL EIRP density, dBW/Hz 10.7 4.7 -12.1 NETH/NETV-2 -29.6 4.7 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 CHTV-2 -29.6 -12.1 Off-ax. EIRP dens, dBW/Hz -29.6 -29.6 -29.6 G/T, dB/K 12.13 5.59 6.42 C/N (thermal), dB 44.4 31.9 15.9 SES carriers SARV NERH/NERV CHRH Bandwidth, MHz 36 36 36 UL flange power dens., dBW/Hz -50 -50 -50 UL ant. Dia, m 9 4.5 0.65 UL ant. Gain, dBi 60.7 54.7 37.9 Summary SATH NETH/NETV CHTV UL EIRP, dBW 86.3 80.2 63.4 SES C/N 34.8 34.5 31.0 UL flange power, dBW 25.6 25.6 25.6 C/I into SES 40.3 34.2 17.4 UL EIRP density, dBW/Hz 10.7 4.7 -12.1 C/N+I 33.74 31.35 17.24 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 Off-ax. EIRP dens, dBW/Hz -29.6 -29.6 -29.6 G/T, dB/K 12.13 5.59 6.42 C/N (thermal), dB 44.4 31.9 15.9 Summary Adj Beam A Beam B Beam C Adj C/N 34.8 34.5 31.0 C/I from SES 40.3 34.2 17.4 Uplink C/I into SES carriers due to interference from adj. satellite C/N+I 33.74 31.35 17.24 SES carriers Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV SATH-2 40.3 34.2 17.4 NETH/NETV-2 40.3 34.2 17.4 CHTV-2 40.3 34.2 17.4 Uplink C/I into adjacent sat carriers due to interference from SES carriers SES carriers Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV SATH-2 40.3 40.3 40.3 NETH/NETV-2 34.2 34.2 34.2 CHTV-2 17.4 17.4 17.4 4

Downlink DOWNLINK Ku-band 12700 MHz SES topocentric sep. 2.2 deg off-axis on-axis k -228.6 dBK SATH -9.9 6.5 NETH/NETV -0.7 21.0 CHTV -0.7 18.5 SES carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV Bandwidth, MHz 54 36 36 Carrier EIRP density, dBW/Hz -30.4 -21.2 -21.2 Satellite EIRP max, dBW 46.96 54.41 54.41 ADJ. Rx ES ant. Dia., m 0.65 1.2 0.9 SATH-2 -9.9 6.5 Rx ES ant. Gain, dBi 36.9 42.2 39.7 NETH/NETV-2 -0.7 21.0 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 CHTV-2 -0.7 18.5 Noise Temp, K 148 162 162 C/N (thermal), dB 6.4 20.5 18.0 Adjacent Satellite carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV Bandwidth, MHz 54 36 36 Carrier EIRP density, dBW/Hz -30.4 -21.2 -21.2 Satellite EIRP max, dBW 46.96 54.41 54.41 Carrier EIRP, dBW 47.0 54.4 54.4 Rx ES ant. Dia., m 0.65 1.2 0.9 Summary SATH NETH/NETV CHTV Rx ES ant. Gain, dBi 36.9 42.2 39.7 SES C/N 6.4 20.5 18.0 Sidelobe gain, dBi 20.4 20.4 20.4 C/I into SES 16.4 31.0 28.5 Noise Temp, K 148 162 162 C/N+I 5.99 20.13 17.63 C/N (thermal), dB 6.4 20.5 18.0 Uplink C/I into SES carriers due to interference from adj. satellite SES carriers Summary Adj Beam A Beam B Beam C Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV Adj C/N 6.4 20.5 18.0 SATH-2 16.4 31.0 28.5 C/I from SES 16.4 31.0 28.5 NETH/NETV-2 7.2 21.7 19.3 C/N+I 5.99 20.13 17.63 CHTV-2 7.2 21.7 19.3 Uplink C/I into adjacent sat carriers due to interference from SES carriers SES carriers Adj. Sat carriers SATH NETH/NETV CHTV SATH-2 16.4 31.0 28.5 NETH/NETV-2 7.2 21.7 19.3 CHTV-2 7.2 21.7 19.3 5

Overall 178E SATH-2 NETH/NETV-2 CHTV-2 C/N Uplink 34.8 34.5 31.0 C/N Downlink 6.4 20.5 18.0 C/I Uplink 176E 40.3 34.2 17.4 C/I Downlink 176E 16.4 31.0 28.5 C/I Uplink 180E 40.3 34.2 17.4 C/I Downlink 180E 16.4 31.0 28.5 C/N+I overall 5.6 19.4 12.5 C/N required -6.1 6.9 6.9 margin 11.7 12.5 5.6 Assuming the satellites at 178E and 180E have the same parameters as NSS-11 6

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that on this 4th day of December, 2018, I caused a true and correct copy of the foregoing “Response of SES Americom, Inc.” to be sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the following: Carlos M. Nalda LMI Advisors, LLC 2550 M Street, N.W., Suite 345 Washington, D.C. 20037 Counsel to Eutelsat S.A. /s/ Roxana Hernandez Roxana Hernandez


Document Created: 2018-12-04 17:22:01
Document Modified: 2018-12-04 17:22:01
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