Attachment comments

comments

COMMENT submitted by DIRECTV

comments

2005-08-26

This document pretains to SAT-STA-20050321-00068 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATSTA2005032100068_452727

coOPY                                         Before the
                   FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION                                       RECEIVED
                                      Washington, D.C. 20554
                                                                                           AUG 2 6 2005
                                                )                                    edCommuntcaton Conmisin
 n the Matter of                                )                                           ie       dsn
                                                )
 EcnoSrar Sateuurre Lacc.                       )       File No. SAT—STA—20050321—00068
                                                )
 Application for Special Temporary              )
 Authority to Move EchoStar 4 to 77° W.L..      )
                                                )
 Application for Blanket Authorization          )       File No. SES—LFS—20050701—00852
 ©f1,000,000 Receive—Only Earth Stations        )       Call Sign: ©050196 R
 To Provide DBS Service in the U.S.             )                               lecej
 Using the Mexican—Authorized                   i                                    ived
 EchoStar 4 Satelite at 77° W.                  )                                AUG 3 9 2095
 ons                                                                                             F

                       commiENTs OF DIRECTV ENTERPRISES, LLC
         DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC (‘DIRECTV) hereby comments on the above referenced
 applications fled by EchoStar Satellite L.L..C. (‘EchoStar") seeking authority to relocate the
 EchoStar 4 Direct Broadcast Satelite ("DBS") space station to 77° W.L. where it would provide
 service into the United States."
         DIRECTV currently provides service to U.S. consumers in markets across the country
 from a DBS satellite operating under a Canadian authorization at the 72.5° W.L.orbital location
 —— just 4.5 degrees away from the slot where EchoStar proposes to operate. As DIRECTV has
 demonstrated in other proceedings, DBS satelites operating on a co—coverage, co—frequency
 basis with such litle orbital separation would cause harmful interference to DIRECTV‘s current

 * on July 62005,the Commission granted EchoGur‘s equestfor an STA to operate th EchoSar 4 sutlite at
   the 77° W L orttl loctionundera U.S. uthoriztio, pendingaction on th STA that is thesubject ofthis
   proceeding. Se FCC File No. SAT—STA—20050701—00142.
 *   See DIRECTY Enterpries, LLC, D08—1890 (at‘ Bur, el. July 14, 2005)


 services and place unacceptable limits on innovations in the future." However, neither

 DIRECTV‘s current satellit at72.5° W.L. nor EchoStar‘s proposed satelite at 77° W.L.is
capable of operating on all 32 available DBS channels at the same time. Indeed, EchoStar 4 is
capable ofoperating on only six transponders." Furthermore, the footprintof EchoStar‘s beam is
focused on Mexico and therefore places signals of imited power over most ofthe United States.
        In these unique circumstances, DIRECTV believes that it may be possible to reach a
short—term accommodation within the coverage and frequency constraints of these two particular

satellites. To that end, DIRECTV has contacted EchoStar to explore such an arrangement.
While the results of this contact so far are encouraging, the parties have not yet finalized an
agreement that would protect service to DIRECTV‘s subscribers in the United States. Ifsuch an
agreement is reached, DIRECTV would not object to grant ofthe specific applications in this
proceeding."
        Itisimportant to note that an agreement in the particular circumstances presented in this
proceeding will not resolve DIRECTV‘s more general long—term concems underlying the use of
DBS slots separated by only 4.5 degrees. The use ofa satellite at 77° W.L. capable ofoperating
on more DBS frequencies with improved coverage ofthe United States would present an entirely
different set ofissues. Such issues, however, are not currently before the Commission in this
proceeding, and accordingly this is not the appropriate time for comment. However, any

*   DIRECTV and its afilites have made numerous flingsin two other proceedings related to short—spaced BSS
    orbial ocations — Rep. No. SPB—196 and FCC Fle No. SAT—PDR.—20020425—00071.
*   See EchoStar Communictions Corpontion, 2004 Anmal Report Foom 10.%, at 6 (iled Mar. 16, 2005) (noting
    that 38 of44 tramsponders on the stelte have faed)
    DIRECTV‘ servicefrom 72.5° WL is beingprovided from a stelit lcensed by Canada n an orbial ocation
    allocatd to Canada underthe TTU Region 2 BSS Plan. DIRECTVeffors in this proceeding to reach a
    domestic accommodation with another US. operator for purposes ofserviceinto the U.S. on an imterim basi
    should not be construe asaffcting interationalrights with respectt hi orbia ocation.


aequiescence in this proceeding should not be taken as a waiver of DIRECTV‘s right to

comment further should EchoStar or any other party seek to modify the terms of market access

from the 77° W.L. DBS orbital slot, and DIRECTV specifically reserves all of its rights in this

regard.
                                            Respectfully submitted,
                                            DIRECTV Enterpmises, LLC




                                                         ham M. Wiltshire
                                                    Michael D. Nilsson

                                            Hamus, WiUrsitke & Gramas Lip
                                             1200 Eighteenth Street, N.W.
                                            Washington, DC 20036
                                            202—730—1300

                                             Counselfor DIRECTV Enerprises, LLC

August 26, 2005


                          CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE



      Therebycertify that, on this 26th day of August, 2005, a copy of the foregoing
Comments of DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC was delivered by hand to:



             Pantelis Michalopoulos
             Philip L. Malet
             Brendan Kasper
             Steptoe & Johnson LLP
             1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
             Washington, DC 20036



                                                  ir~



Document Created: 2005-08-30 15:52:01
Document Modified: 2005-08-30 15:52:01

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