Attachment Grant

Grant

DECISION submitted by FCC

Grant

2009-06-12

This document pretains to SAT-STA-20090130-00013 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATSTA2009013000013_716957

                                                     1O                     fily4        ShT—sim—20040130— oco13

                                                                            Call Sign 52739          Grant Date 0e/12 /09
                                                                            (or other idefitifict)             seried of           Appraved by OMB

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                                                                                                     Torm Dates P 4

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Date & Time Filed: Jan 30 2009 7:29:59:370PM                  E: t q; Approved:| _& /        fiu&// onmmtromsesiss
                                                                                             en
         1    t
File Number: SAT—STA—20090130—00013               * subjed 40 the corclttions       Sr ipr nT_Y: D%al‘\(‘"
                                                                                                     Chia, Policy       rcu'   [
Callsign:                                            described n the application

                                         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                               APPLICATION FOR SPACE STATION SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

                                                         FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY


   APPLICANT INFORMATION
Enter a description of this application to identify it on the main menu:
 Special Temporary Authority to Move EchoStar 1 from 148 W.L. to 77 W.L. for 60 days
1. Applicant

            Name:        EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.   Phone Number:                           303—723—1000
                         C.
            DBA Name:                                        Fax Number:                             303—723—1699
            Street:      9601 South Meridian Boulevard       E—Mail:


            City:        Englewood                           State:                                   CO

            Country:     USA                                 Zipcode:                                80112          —
            Attention:   Linda Kinney —(202)293—0981


2. Contact


             Name:          Pantelis Michalopoulos               Phone Number:                        202—429—6494
             Company:       Steptoe & Johnson LLP                Fax Number:
             Street:        1330 Connecticut Ave. NW             E—Mail:                              pmichalopoulos@steptoe.com



             City:          Washington                           State:                                DC
             Country:       USA                                  Zipcode:                 ‘           20036      —
             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 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 1.1114).
£4 Governmental Entity       4 Noncommercial educational licensee
q4 Other(please explain):

4b. Fee Classification

5. Type Request

¢y Change Station Location                           {3 Extend Expiration Date                       g@y Other


6. Temporary Orbit Location                                                 7. Requested Extended Expiration Date


8. Description   (If the complete description does not appearin this box, please go to the end of the form to view it in its entirety.)
     EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C.                     seeks STA to move the EchoStar 1 satellite from 148 W.
     L.   to 77 W.L.       where it will operate under Mexican authority.                             Please see attached
     narrative.




9. By checking Yes, the undersigned certifies that neither applicant nor any other party to the application is subject @ Yes              «4 No
to a denial of Federal beneffits 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 application" for these purposes.


10. Name of Person Signing                                                  11. Title of Person Signing
Linda Kinney                                                                Vice President, Law and Regulation
12. Please supply any need attachments.
 Attachment 1: Narrative                           Attachment 2:                                      Attachment 3:



          WILLFUL FALSE STATEMENTS MADE ON THIS FORM ARE PUNISHABLE BY FINE AND / OR IMPRISONMENT
                 (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001), AND/OR REVOCATION OF ANY STATION AUTHORIZATION
                  (U.S. Code, Title 47, Section 312(a)(1}}, AND/OR FORFEITURE (U.S. Code, Title 47, Section 503).


FCC NOTICE REQUIRED BY THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

The public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions,
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the required data, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. If you
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THE FOREGOING NOTICE ISREQUIRED BY THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995, PUBLIC L&AW 104—13, OCTOBER
1, 1995, 44 U.S.C. SECTION 3507.


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




                                                    N/ NP NNN NNN NN
In the Matter of

ECHOSTAR SATELLITE OPERATING L.L.C.
                                                                       File No. SAT—STA—2009
Application for Space Station                                          Call Sign DBS8801
Special Temporary Authority To Relocate
the EchoStar 1 Satellite to 77.15° W.L.




    APPLICATION FOR SPACE STATION SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY‘!

       EchoStarSatellite Operating L.L.C. ("DISH") hereby requests, for a period of 60 days

beginning on April 15, 2008, a space station Special Temporary Authority ("STA") to relocate

the EchoStar 1 satellite from 148° W.L. to 77.15° W.L. Once there, EchoStar 1 will be operated

by QuetzSat, S. de RL. de C.V. ("QuetzSat") as a Mexican—licensed satellite. To the extent

necessary, DISH also requests a waiver of the Commission‘s rules to use two C—band frequencies



         ‘ Along with this application, DISH will be requesting (1) a blanket earth station license
to operate with EchoStar 1 at 77.15° W.L. as a Mexican—licensed satellite and (2) space station
STA to operate the EchoStar 1 satellite to 77.15° W.L. pending the re—flagging of EchoStar 1 as a
Mexican—licensed satellite. DISH will also file an application to transfer the EchoStar 1 satellite
to QuetzSat for operation under Mexican—authority. DISH‘s sister company, EchoStar
Corporation ("EchoStar"), will be requesting: (1) earth station STA to support the relocation of
the EchoStar 1 satellite to 77.15° W.L.; (2) earth station STAto support temporary space station
operations at 77.15° W.L. pending the re—flagging of EchoStar 1 as a Mexican—licensed satellite;
and (3) the modification of three existing earth station licenses (Call Signs EO80058, E980118
and E010240) to perform feeder link and TT&C operations with EchoStar 1 at 77.15° W.L.
EchoStar has received temporary authority to operate the EchoStar 8 satellite at 77.0° W.L.
under U.S. authority, File No. SAT—STA—20080616—00121 (granted Nov. 7, 2008), and has
requested a modification to its blanket earth station license to operate with the EchoStar 8
satellite after it is re—flagged under Mexican authority, File No. SES—MFS—20080724—00977
(filed Jul. 24, 2008).


for TT&C operations during the relocation of the satellite. The relocation of the satellite will be

at DISH‘s own risk, pending the grant of blanket earth station authorization allowing DISH to

serve the United States and the re—licensing of the satellite as a Mexican—licensed satellite.

       As the Commission is aware, QuetzSat is an affiliate of SES Latin America, S.A. ("SES—

LA") and SES S.A. (collectively, "SES"), with which EchoStar has entered into an agreement for

the development of the Mexican BSS location at 77° W.L." Pursuant to that agreement, the

EchoStar 4 satellite has already been deployed to 77° W.L. with the Commission‘s approval."

EchoStar has also sought Commission approval to modify its blanket earth station to operate

with the EchoStar 8 satellite as a Mexican—licensed satellite from 77.0° W.L.*

       EchoStar 77 Corporation ("EchoStar 77 Corp."), a wholly—owned subsidiary of EchoStar,

recently entered into Satellite Service Agreements with SES—LA and DISH ("EchoStar 77

SSAs"). Under those agreements, QuetzSat will provide service to EchoStar 77 Corp. on its

future QuetzSat—1 satellite over all 32 available channels at 77° W.L. subject to the receipt of all

required approvals." EchoStar 77 Corp., in turn, will provide service to its parent, EchoStar, and,

its affiliate, DISH. The EchoStar 77 SSAs also allow either DISH or EchoStar to move an



       * See 77° W.L. Agreement, filed in File No. SAT—STA—20080616—00121, Attachment 3
("EchoStar 8 Application").

       * See EchoStar Satellite L.L.C., DA 06—868, Order and Authorization, 21 FCC Red 4077
(2006) ("77° W.L. Order"), assigned and transferred to EchoStar Corporation, File Nos. SES—
ASG—20071108—01575, SES—T/C—20071108—01566 (consummated Jan. 1, 2008).

       * File No. SES—MFS—20080724—00977 (filed Jul. 24, 2008).

        ° Sections 2.H(5) of the Satellite Services Agreement between EchoStar 77 Corporation
and SES Latin America S.A. and the Satellite Services Agreement between DISH Network
Corporation and EchoStar 77 Corp. ("EchoStar 77 SSAs"), filed in EchoStar Satellite Operating
L.L.C., File No. SES—LFS—2009____—            , Attachment 2 (filed Jan. 30, 2009) ("EchoStar 1
Application").


"Interim Satellite" to the 77° W.L. orbital location and use up to all 32 channels available at that

location subject to the BSS Concession.© DISH will move the EchoStar 1 satellite to 77.15°

W.L. once it receives authority from the Commission and will provide DBS programming to

consumers in the U.S. over the requested blanket earth station license. The EchoStar 4 satellite

will be temporarily moved to 77.3° W.L., subject to Commission approval, which will be

requested separately. The EchoStar 1 satellite is intended to replace the EchoStar 4 satellite —

which is nearing the end of its life — and will provide service to the United States and Mexico in

conjunction with the EchoStar 8 satellite.‘ EchoStar 1 will operate at 77.15° W.L. until the

planned launch of the QuetzSat—1 satellite to that orbital location in 2011.

       QuetzSat, which pursuant to the BSS Concession was authorized by Mexico to use the

BSS frequencies at the 77° W.L. slot," has advised the Mexican Administration of its plan to

replace the EchoStar 4 satellite with EchoStar 1 for service to Mexico and the United States, and

DISH understands that the Mexican Administration has no objection to this plan. The two




       ° Id. DISH understands that the use of the EchoStar 1 satellite at 77° W.L. is directly
encompassed within the authority granted in QuetzSat‘s existing concession. That concession is
not limited to the operations of any particular satellite at 77° W.L. Secretariat of
Communications and Transportation Vice—Ministry of Communications, Concesion Para Ocupar
La Posicion Orbital Geoestacionaria 77° Oeste Asignada al Pais y Explotar Sus Respectivas
Bandas de Frecuencias 12.2 — 12.7 GHz y 17.3—17.8 GHz, Asi como los Derechos de Emision y
Recepcion de Sefiales, granted February 2, 2005 ("BSS Concession"), filed in EchoStar 8
Application, Attachment 2 at 4 (defining the satellite system as "one or more satellites with
associated frequencies and their control centers operating in an integral manner to make satellite
capacity available for the rendering of satellite services").

       ‘ Amendment #4 to Satellite Relocation and Use Agreement for the 77° W.L. Orbital
Location, filed in EchoStar 1 Application, Attachment 4. Note that EchoStar 4 and EchoStar 1
may both operate at 77° W.L. for a short period prior to the end—of—life disposal of the EchoStar 4
satellite.

        8 BSS Concession.


Administrations have already exchanged letters regarding the use of EchoStar 4, formerly a U.S.—

licensed satellite, at 77° W.L.°

       For the reasons set forth herein, grant of this Application will serve the public interest and

will not cause harmful interference to any authorized user of the spectrum. The redeployment of

the EchoStar 1 satellite, alongside the EchoStar 8 satellite, into service at 77.15° W.L. will

augment the capacity that EchoStar and DISH will have available to serve the United States from

that Mexican 77° W.L. slot and result in a greater variety and quality of programming services,

including high definition programming and local channels.

1.      GRANT OF THIS APPLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

        Granting DISH‘s Application is in the public interest. DISH and its affiliate, EchoStar,

will be able to take advantage of the greater capabilities that EchoStar 1 brings to bear compared

to EchoStar 4 to provide increased programming to U.S. consumers from 77° W.L. while

QuetzSat constructs the QuetzSat—1 satellite. EchoStar 4 suffers from two infirmities: limited

capacity and limited scope of coverage over the U.S. The Commission found that even this

limited service from the Mexican orbital slot at 77° W.L. "could serve the public interest by

providing service to areas in the Southern U.S., including additional Spanish language

programming to areas with significant Spanish—speaking populations.”10 The redeployment of

EchoStar 1, along with EchoStar 8, to 77° W.L. will achieve this and more, as it will ameliorate

both of EchoStar 4s defects. It will greatly enhance the programming available from 77° W.L.

to U.S. customers, and- it will also enhance the scope of U.S. coverage beyond the southern

states. By operating both EchoStar 1 and EchoStar 8 at 77° W.L., DISH and EchoStar will have

        ° See 77° W.L. Order at Appendix A.
        9 See id. at " 8.


greater operational flexibility to maximize the amount of service available to U.S. consumers

than if either satellite operated alone at 77° W.L. This greater operational flexibility will provide

the companies with expanded capacity to provide high—definition services and additional high—

definition local—into—local markets.

               All of this can be achieved without any disruption in service. All programming carried

by EchoStar 1 at 148° W.L. today can be switched to another DISH satellite dr the EchoStar 5

satellite once that spacecraft has been transferred from 129° W.L. to 148° W.L., which is

planned to occur this March."

               In sum, the redeployment of EchoStar 1 to 77.15° W.L. is in the public interest, and the

grant of the earth station STAs necessary to achieve that redeployment is in the public interest by

the same token.

II.            GRANT OF THIS APPLICATION WILL NOT CAUSE HARMFUL
               INTERFERENCE AND WILL BE AT DISH*‘S OWN RISK

               During the transition from 148° W.L. to 77.15° W.L., regular DBS transmissions on the

EchoStar 1 satellite will remain switched off, with only TT&C operations being performed in the

C—band (discussed below). DISH also will operate its TT&C payload according to the following
                                                                                         —     e        e
      +   p%                                                                                    $        O
conditions:                                                                              §      o       C$                                                —<
                                                                   .                     §     Y        $ 3 Sy= 3
               o      DISH will coordinate its TT&C operations with all potentially affqhé) ed 9         :&:‘ \% é ‘%j
                      operating satellite networks.                                      S     &        ’QE o _3 t (;;
                                                                                         O                                                      &
                                                                                         Alo    §        g                ‘\\}:%S;
               o      No harmful interference will be caused to any lawfully operating shtellite:       E—:             % C fi;)
                      network or radiocommunication system and DISH operations willigease                               \\\(fi O
                                                                                         o          3 $
                                                                                         in         €            o
        ‘ The Commission has granted DISH authority to move the EchoStar 5 sat Fllite t -}:448"                                      j
                                                                                                                         Approved:




W.L., and DISH‘s application for modification of its authority to operate EchoStar‘5 at 148°
                                                                                                              I rom 0




W.L. is pending. See File Nos. SAT—STA—20081003—00201 and SAT—A/O—20081:003—002 l;IS            E
(originally filed as File Nos. SAT—MOD—20081003—00199, SAT—MOD—20081003—:00200(filed
                                                                                                                                                          dGeseribedin the apphmhm\
                                                                                                                                     conditions




Oct. 3, 2008)).
                                                                                                                4#


                                                                                                                                     * SUb\")edr 35 the
                                                      h


                immediately upon notification of harmful interference. Further, DISH
                shall notify the Commission immediately, in writing, of such an event.

        o       DISH will accept interference from any lawfully operating satellite
                network or radiocommunication system.

        DISH requests that the Commission authorize the relocation of EchoStar 1, at DISH‘s

own risk, pending the grant of blanket earth station authority and the exchange of letters between

the United States and Mexico for the re—licensing of the satellite under Mexican authority. In the

event that such re—licensing fails to occur, DISH will request Commuission authorization to move

the satellite to another orbital location.

III.    USE OF C—BAND FREQUENCIES FOR TT&C

        As the Commission is aware, the EchoStar 1 satellite is equipped with telemetry, tracking

and command ("TT&C") beacons in the conventional C—band frequencies (specifically, 5926—

5927 MHz and 6423—6424 MHz for command, and 4198.4—4198.6 and 4199.4—4199.6 MHz for

telemetry and tracking). The Commission has already authorized the use of those frequencies to

perform TT&C operations with EchoStar 1 at 148° W.L. on a non—protected, non—harmful

interference basis." DISH requests authority for the use of the same frequencies with the same

satellite at 77.15° W.L. on exactly the same basis.

        Consistent with this precedent, DISH respectfully requests a waiver of Section 25.202(g)

(in—band TT&C) to the extent necessary to permit such operations. Just as when the Commussion

authorized DISH to use these frequencies at 148° W.L., there is good cause for such a waiver.""

First, the continued use of these frequencies for the conduct of TT&C with the EchoStar 1


       * See EchoStar Satellite Corporation et al., 13 FCC Red $595, at " 23 (Sat. & Radiocom.
Div. 1998). ~

        } See WAIT Radio v. FCC, 418 F.24 1153, 1157 (D.C. Cir. 1969), aff‘d, 459 F.2d 1203
(D.C. Cir. 1972), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 1027 (1972).


satellite is essential, as the satellite is not equipped to receive commands or transmit telemetry

and tracking information on any other frequencies. In addition, the continued use of these

command frequencies on a non—protected, non—harmful interference basis will not increase the

potential for interference with any lawful users of spectrum, as it will not conflict with the

operations of any adjacent C—band satellite operators. The closest C—band satellite that will

operate near the 77° W.L. orbital location when EchoStar 1 is transferred to that location is

Brasilsat B3 operating at 75° W.L.‘"* The closest C—band satellite to the west of 77° W.L. is

Brasilsat B4 operating at 84° W.L. Thus, proposed operations of EchoStar 1‘s TT&C

communications in two slivers of the conventional C—band will not cause any interference into

the operations of either of these satellites.

        To the extent necessary, DISH is also requesting from the Commission a limited waiver

of the Trilateral Arrangement Regarding Use of the Geostationary Orbit reached by Canada,

Mexico, and the United States as EchoStar 1 will be a Mexican—licensed satellite in the portion of

the C—band arc reserved to the U.S. under that agreement."" For the reasons set forth above, there

is good cause for such a waiver. In addition, DISH notes that Mexico and Canada have both

consented to EchoStar 1‘s limited use of the C—band when the satellite was operating at 119°

W.L., in these countries‘ portion of the C—band arc.‘°


        * While PanAmSat‘s Galaxy 4R satellite currently operates at 76.8° W.L., PanAmSat
has recently submitted an application to deorbit the satellite in March 2009 and to transfer all C—
band traffic to its Galaxy 2R satellite located at 93.10° W.L. See File No. SAT—STA—20090123—
00008 (filed Jan. 23, 2009). As EchoStar 1 will not reach 77° W.L. until on or around May 22, .
2009, its limited C—band operations will not interfere with Galaxy 4R.

        5 See Public Notice, Trilateral Arrangement Regarding Use of the Geostationary Orbit
Reached by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, available at
http://www .fee.gov/ib/sand/agree/files/satellite/trilat.pdf (rel. Sept. 2, 1988).

        14.


IV.    WAIVER PURSUANT TO SECTION 304 OF THE ACT

       In accordance with Section 304 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47

U.S.C. § 304, DISH hereby waives any claim to the use of any particular frequency or of the

electromagnetic spectrum as against the regulatory power of the United States because of the

previous use of the same, whether by license or otherwise.

vV.    CONCLUSION

       For the foregoing reasons, DISH respectfully requests that the Commission grant the

requested Special Temporary Authority for the relocation of EchoStar 1 to 77.15° W.L.

                                            Respectfully submitted,



                                                      /s/
Pantelis Michalopoulos                        Linda Kinney
Petra A. Vorwig                               Vice President, Law and Regulation
Steptoe & Johnson LLP                         Brad Gillen
1330 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.                 Director and Senior Counsel
Washington, D.C. 20036                        EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C.
(202) 429—3000                                1233 20th Street, N.W.
Counselfor EchoStar Satellite Operating       Suite 302
L.L.C.                                        Washington, DC 20036—2396
                                              (202) 293—0981
January 30, 2009



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