Attachment GRANT

This document pretains to SAT-STA-20061020-00124 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATSTA2006102000124_560643

                             EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation
                     Conditions of Authorization: SAT-STA-2006 1020-00 124
                                        Call Sign: S2232
                                    Grant Date: April 10, 2007


        EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation (Echostar's) request for special temporary
authority (STA), File No. SAT-STA-2006 1020-00 124, is GRANTED.' Accordingly, EchoStar
is authorized for 180 days to conduct Telemetry, Tracking, and Control (TT&C) operations on a
non-harmful interference basis, at the 1 10.4" W.L. orbital location, sufficient to maintain the
EchoStar 6 satellite as an in-orbit spare with +/- 0.05 longitudinal station keeping in accordance
with the terms, conditions, and technical specifications set forth in its application, Federal
Communication Commission rules, and this attachment.

         1. EchoStar is required to accept inference from other lawfully operating space stations
            or other radio communication systems.

        2. Any action taken or expense incurred as a result of operations pursuant to this special
           temporary authority is solely at Echostar's own risk.

        3 . EchoStar is afforded 30 days from the date of the release of this action to decline this
            authorization as conditioned. Failure to respond within this period will constitute
            formal acceptance of this authorization as conditioned.

        4. This grant is issued pursuant to 47 C.F.R. 3 0.261 of the Commission's rules on
           delegated authority and is effectively immediately.




' This application was accepted for filing and placed on public notice on November 17, 2006. Satellite
Space Stations Applications Accepted for Filing, Policy Branch Information, Public Notice, Report No.
SAT-00402 (rel. Nov. 17,2006). No comments were filed. See also SAT-STA-20060425-00049(granted
April 28, 2006).


                                                                                                                 Approved by OMB
                                                                                                                       3060-0678

    Date &Time Filed: Oct 20 2006 12:01:07:810PM
i   File Number: SAT-STA-2006 1020-00 124
i
    Callsign:       ad 3%                                         FChOSk           6 @
                                                                                     ,    \ \clc   * Lo'L   c,


                                           FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                 APPLICATION FOR SPACE STATION SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

                                                           FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
    1                                                                                                                              I
      APPLICANT INFORMATION
    Enter a description of this application to identify it o n the main menu:
    Request t o Renew STA Granted in File No. SAT-STA-20060303-00023 For An Additional 180 Days
    1. Applicant

               Name:        EchoStar Satellite Operating      Phone Number:              303-723-1 000
                            Corporation
               DBA Name:                                      Fax Number:                303-723-1 699
               Street:      960 1 South Meridian Boulevard    E-Mail:


               City:        Englewood                         Statc:                     co
                                                              Zipcode:                   801 12     -
               Country:     USA
               Attention:   David K Moskowitz




    1


    2. Contact
i

                 Name:          Pantelis Michalopoulos              Phone Number:                        202-429-6494
                 Company:       Steptoe & Johnson LLP               Fax Number:                          202-429-3 902
                 Street:        1330 Connecticut Ave., NW           E-Mail:                              pmichalo@steptoe.com
4

                 City:          Washington                          State:                                DC
I
                 Country:       USA                                 Zipcode:                             20036      -1795
                 Attention:                                         Relationship:                        Legal Counsel


      (If your application is related to an application filed with the Commission, enter either the file number or the IB Submission ID of the related
    application. Please enter only one.)
      3. Reference File Number SATSTA2006030300023 or Submission ID
         4a. Is a fee submitted with this application?
           IfYes, complete and attach FCC Form 159. If No, indicate reason for fee exemption (see 47 C.F.R.Section 1.11 14).
     0 Governmental Entity 0 Noncommercial educational licensee
     0 Other(p1ease explain):
    14b. Fee Classification CRY - Space Station (Geostationary)
    5 . Type Request

        0 Change Station Location                          Extend Expiration Date                       0 Other

    6. Temporary Orbit Location                                                17.Requested Extended Expiration Date
           110.4W                                                                   2007-04-23 0O:OO:OO.O




    2


8. Description (If the complete description does not appear in this box, please go to the end of the form to view it in its entirety.)
     EchoStar request an extension of the special temporary authority granted in SAT-
     STA-20060303-00023 to allow EchoStar 6 to remain at 110.4W where it is being stored as an
     in-orbit spare. See the attached narrative and technical appendix (Attachment A) for
     additional detail.



9. By checking Yes, the undersigned certifies that neither applicant nor any other party to the application is subject       Yes         0 No
to a denial of Federal benefits that includes FCC benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Act of 1988,
21 U.S.C. Section 862, because of a conviction for possession or distribution of a controlled substance. See 47 CFR
1.2002(b) for the meaning of "party to the applicationtkquot; for these purposes.


10. Name of Person Signing                                                 1 1 . Title of Person Signing
David K. Moskowitz                                                         Executive Vice President and General Counsel
12. Please supply any need attachments.
I Attachment 1 : Narrative App.                   I Attachment 2: Attachment A                      I Attachment 3:
          WILLFUL FALSE STATEMENTS MADE ON THIS FORM ARE PUNISHABLE BY FINE AND / OR IMPRISONMENT
                 (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section IOOl), AND/OR REVOCATION OF ANY STATION AUTHORIZATION
                  (U.S. Code, Title 47, Section 312(a)(l)), AND/OR FORFEITURE (U.S. Code, Title 47, Section 503).




3


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1,1995,44 U.S.C. SECTION 3507.




4


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



In the Matter of                                      1
ECHOSTAR
       SATELLITE
               OPERATING                              )       File No. SAT-STA-20060303-00023
CORPORATION                                           1       File No. SAT-STA-2006
                                                      )
For Special Temporary Authority to Maintain
EchoStar 6 at 110.4” W.L. as an In-orbit Spare        )        9 z 2-32


              APPLICATION TO RENEW SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

       By this application, EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation (“EchoStar”) respecthlly

requests that the Commission renew the special temporary authority (“STA”) it granted EchoStar

to store the EchoStar 6 satellite at the 110.4’ W.L. orbital location as an in-orbit spare for 180

days. See File No. SAT-STA-20060303-00023. This authority expires on October 25,2006 and

                                                                      ofEqhoStzg 6 at 110.4’.
by this application, EchoStar requests authority to c_ontin~e-g~intgggcq

W.L. as an in-orbit spare for an additional 180 days. The continued maintenance of EchoStar 6

as an in-orbit spare at this location serves the public interest and will not cause harmful

interference to any authorized spectrum user. Accordingly, the Commission should grant this

request for renewal of the EchoStar 6 STA.

I.      GRANT OF THIS APPLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

       The Commission has a long-standing policy of granting Special Temporary Authority

where such authorization will not cause harmful interference and will serve the public interest,

convenience and necessity. See e.g., In the Matter of Newcomb Communications,Inc., 8 FCC

Rcd. 3631,3633 (1993); In the Matter of Columbia Communications Corp., 11 FCC Rcd. 8639,


8640 (1 996); In the Matter of American Telephone & Telegraph Co., Order, 8 FCC Rcd. 8742

(1 993). The requested operations meet both of these tests.

       Continued temporary operation of the EchoStar 6 at 1 10.4" W.L. as an in-orbit spare will

not cause harmful interference to any other U.S.-licensed satellite operator. Maintaining

EchoStar 6 to this orbital location and limiting operations to TT&C would, if anything, reduce

any potential for interference with DIRECTV 5 at 109.8" W.L. and any Broadcast Satellite

Service ("BSS") satellites further east. In addition, the closest operational BSS satellites to the

west of EchoStar 6's proposed location (except other EchoStar satellites) are two D W C T V

satellites located at 1 19" W.L. Maintaining the EchoStar 6 satellite with only its TT&C beams

operating at 1 10.4" W.L. will not appreciably increase the interference experienced by the

satellites located at the 119" W.L. orbital location. This is demonstrated in the technical showing

in Attachment A .

       EchoStar recognizes that maintaining EchoStar 6 as an in-orbit spare at 110.4' W.L. has

resulted in the satellite operating outside of the 1 10" W.L. DBS "cluster" allotted to the United

States by the International Telecommunication Union ("ITU").      ' Under the current ITU Region 2
BSS Plan, the United States has the authority to allow satellite operators to provide BSS ( i e . ,

DBS service in the United States) at orbital locations within plus/minus 0.2" of the designated

orbital location, known as clusters.2 Under this plan, the United States has sole authority over

the BSS frequencies located at the 110" W.L. c l ~ s t e r .This
                                                             ~ cluster consists of orbital locations




        1
            See ITU Regulations, Appendix 30, Annex 7, Section B.

            Id.

            ITU Regulations, Appendix 30, Art. 10.


                                                  2


from 109.8' W.L. to 110.2" W.L. In order to operate its satellite permanently outside of the

authorized cluster, an operator must seek to modify the ITU Region 2 BSS Plan.4

       However, as noted in its initial STA request, EchoStar is not seeking to operate

permanently on the DBS frequencies at 110.4" W.L. Rather, it is only seeking authority to

continue to maintain the satellite at 110.4' W.L. for an additional 180 days, as an in-orbit spare   I
with its communications payload turned off, utilizing only its TT&C frequencies.
                                              -"-.    -
       The Commission has previously granted temporary authority to operate outside of an

orbital location cluster on the condition that operations do not cause harmful interference to

lawfully operating satellite systems and that the satellite system operate without protection fiom

lawful systems5 In fact, in very similar circumstances, the Bureau has approved a similar

request by DIRECTV for relocation of the DIRECTV 6 satellite outside of the 110" W.L. cluster

(east of the cluster).6 As discussed above and in Attachment A , maintaining EchoStar 6 at 110.4'

W.L. as an in-orbit spare will not cause harmful interference to any authorized spectrum users.

11.    SECTION 304 WAIVER

       In accordance with Section 304 of the Communications Act of 1934,47 U.S.C.         9 304,
EchoStar hereby waives any claim to the use of any particular frequency or of the

electromagnetic spectrum because of the previous use of the same, whether by license or

otherwise.

       4
            ITU Regulations, Appendix 30, Art. 4.2.

         See Letter from Thomas S. Tycz, Chief, Satellite and Radio CommunicationsDivision,
FCC, to David K. Moskowitz, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for EchoStar Satellite
Corporation, at 2, dated Jan. 14,2000 (granting authority to operate the EchoStar 4 satellite at
1 19.35' W.L., outside of the 119' W.L. cluster).
        6
      See, e.g.,DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC, DA-05-2654, Order and Authorization, File Nos.
SAT-A/O-20050504-00093 and SAT-STA-20050518-00105,at 1110,15-16 (rel. Oct. 5,2005)
("DIRECTV 6 STA").


                                                 3


111.      CONCLUSION

          For the foregoing reasons, EchoStar respectfully requests renewal of its special temporary

authority to maintain EchoStar at 110.4" W.L. as an in-orbit spare for an additional 180 day

period.

                                               Respectfully submitted,

                                               EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation


                                                          Is1
Pantelis Michalopoulos                         David K. Moskowitz
Chung Hsiang Mah                               Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Steptoe & Johnson LLP                          EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation
1330 Connecticut Avenue N.W.                   9601 South Meridian Boulevard
Washington, D.C. 20036                         Englewood, CO 801 12
(202) 429-3000                                 (303) 723-1000

Counselfor EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation

October 20,2006




                                                  4




                                 ---__.-I                ."--    "._         -__          7---         -.


                                         ATTACHMENT A
                                         Technical Appendix

Potential Interference Issues

The Echostar-6 satellite operates in the frequency bands covered by Appendices 30 and
30A of the Radio Regulations. These bands are 12.2 - 12.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and
17.3 - 17.8 GHz (Earth-to-space). Operational co-frequency satellites within 10 degrees
of the 1 1O"W orbital location, aside from Echostar's, are the DIRECTV DBS satellites at
101"W and 119"W."        '
The result of the requested shift for the Echostar-6 satellite from 1 10.2"W to 110.35"W
and then to 110.4"W provides a greater orbital separation from the DIRECTV satellites at
the 101"W location and therefore there is no negative impact to these operations. With
the proposed shift, the Echostar-6 satellite will move closer to the US-assigned 119"W
orbital location where both EchoStar and DIRECTV satellites operate within a f 0.2
degree cluster. Currently, there are two operational satellites at the 119"W cluster -
Echostar-7 located at 118.9"W and DIRECTV-7S located at 119.2"W. Currently the
orbital separation between the Echostar-6 satellite and the DIRECTV-7S satellite is
therefore nominally 9 degrees, or 8.9 degrees taking into account station-keeping
tolerances of both satellites. With the requested shift of Echostar-6 to 110.35"W and
then 110.4"W the orbital separation would be nominally 8.85 to 8.8 degrees, or 8.75 to
8.7 degrees taking into account the station-keeping tolerances of both satellites. Taking
the worst case of EchoStar 6 at 110.4"W, the result of the shift in terms of receive earth
station off-axis gain is a difference of less than 0.25 dB and the off-axis discrimination of
the receiving earth station is still greater than 29 dB. Similarly the large feeder link earth
stations used by EchoStar provide sufficient isolation at these orbital separations to
prevent any uplink interference effects. Therefore, the proposed shift of Echostar-6 from
 110.2"W to 110.35 and then to 110.4"W will result in negligible impact to the DIRECTV
operations at the 119"W location.

In addition to these operational satellites, a search using the ITU's on-line databases show
there are several AP30/30A BSS filings at "tweener" orbital locations, e.g. 105.5"W and
114.5"W. There is no indication, however, that these satellites will be operational in the
time-frame of the requested temporary operation of Echostar-6 satellite at the 110.35"W
orbital location. At the 110.4 "W orbital location, the EchoStar 6 satellite will be closer
to the 114.5"W orbital location. However, the EchoStar 6 satellite will not be providing
service from this location so only its TT&C frequencies will be operating. If in the future

'  Other operational co-frequency DBS satellites, e.g. the Canadian network at 91'W are further removed.
The off-axis discrimination of the receive earth stations at separations greater than 10 degrees is 31 dB or
greater (assuming an equivalent 45 cm dish antenna that meets ITU-R B0.1213 reference pattern). Thus,
the requested shift of 0.2 degrees for the Echostar-6 satellite would have an even more attenuated impact
on operations of DBS satellites operating more than 10 degrees away than what will be seen to be a
negligible effect on the satellites at 119'W.
* This annex covers both the proposed transitional operation of EchoStar 6 at 110.35' W.L. and the
subsequent proposed temporary operation at 110.4' W.L. For simplicity, we will use the 110.4" W.L.
position in this analysis.


a satellite is located at the 114.5"W orbital location, successful coordination of the TT&C
frequencies should be possible given the narrow bandwidths and the larger earth station
used by EchoStar for its TT&C operations. There are also many filings for use of the
Region 2 17.3 - 17.8 GHz BSS downlink allocation. These satellites cannot be brought
into use until 1 April 2007. Moreover, the issue with these networks is 17 GHz feeder
link earth station interference into receiving earth stations, and this would be unaffected
by the precise orbital location of the EchoStar 6 satellite. Similarly, there are FSS Ka-
band filings that include the 17 GHz spectrum in the space-to-Earth direction. The ITU
databases also includes FSS filings for the 12 GHz band in Regions 1 and 3. Because of
the large geographic separation of the service areas the up to 0.2"shift of EchoStar 6
would not impact these networks either.

Collision Avoidance Issues

In considering current and planned satellites that may have a station-keeping volume that
overlapping the Echostar-6 satellite's new proposed locations at 1 10.35"W and 110.4"W,
we have reviewed the lists of FCC licensed satellite networks, as well as those that are
currently under consideration by the FCC. In addition, non-USA networks for which a
filing has been submitted to the ITU in the vicinity of 110" W have also been reviewed.

Only those networks that either operate, or are planned to operate, and have an
overlapping station-keeping volume with the Echostar-6 satellite, have been taken into
account in the analysis. For purposes of calculating potential station-keeping volume
overlap, US satellites have been assumed to have a maximum east-west excursion of
k0.05" from their nominal location, while non-US satellite networks have been assumed
to have a maximum excursion of M. 1" from their nominal location.

Currently there are four operational US licensed satellites within M.5" of 110"W.L.
These are the DIRECTV-6 satellite at 109.5"W, the DIRECTV-5 satellite at 109.8"W, the
Echostar-6 satellite at 110.2"W and the Echostar-8 satellite at 110.0"W. Additionally,
EchoStar has requested authority to provide DBS service from the nominal 1 10" W.L.
orbital position using the Echostar-10 satellite, and plans to locate the satellite at the
110.2" W.L. orbital location. Taking into account the maximum east-west excursion of
*0.05", none of these satellites have the potential to overlap with the station-keeping
volume of the Echostar-6 satellite at the 110.35OW or 110.4"W orbital locations.

In addition to these operational satellites a review of the ITU on-line databases include
the following non-USA filings at the 1 1O"W orbital location: EMARSAT-SB/M from
the United Arab Emirates, INMARSAT-S7 from the United Kingdom and PAS-
ENDEAVOUR- 11OW from Australia. A review of the FAA Quarterly Launch Report
does not indicate that these satellites will be launched in the near future. In addition to
these filings there are US filings for Region 2 17 GHz BSS operations. The earliest these
networks can be brought into use is 1 April 2007, however. It is noted that, with the
assumed station-keeping maximum excursions stated above, there would be no
overlapping station-keeping volume with the EchoStar 6 satellite at 110.35"W and
 110.4OW orbital locations.
c


              CERTIFICATION OF PERSON RESPONSIBLE
           FOR PREPAFUNG ENGINEERING INFORMATION

       I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that I am the technically qualified
person responsible for preparation of the engineering information contained in the
foregoing submission, that I am familiar with Part 25 of the Commission's rules, that I
have either prepared or reviewed the engineering information submitted in this pleading,
and that it is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.




                                                                      /sf
                                                      Richard J. Barnett, PhD, BSc
                                                      Telecomm Strategies, Inc.
                                                      6404 Highland Drive
                                                      Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
                                                      (301) 656-8969

Dated: March 3,2006



Document Created: 2007-04-12 11:47:33
Document Modified: 2007-04-12 11:47:33

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