Attachment Opposition

This document pretains to SES-LFS-20050930-01352 for License to use Foreign Satellite (earth) on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESLFS2005093001352_472112

 OR\G\NAL                                                                             RECEIVED — FCC
                                      Before the                                           DEC        —
                        rEpERAL CommMUnNtcaTrons commsston                                       EC       1e
                                        Washington, DC 20554
In the Matter of                                 )
                                                 )
TELENOR SATELLITE, INC.                          )       File No. SES—LES—20050930—01352
                                                 )       File No. SES—AMD—20051111—0156¢
Application for Title IHI Blanket License        )
to Operate BGAN Mobile Earth Terminals )
with Inmarsat4F2 at 52.75° W.L.        )
                                                 )
TELENOR SATELLITE, INC.                          )       File No. TTC—214—20051005—00398
                                                )
Application for Section 214 Authorization )
to Provide BGAN Mobile Satelite Service )
via Inmarsat 42 at $2.75° W.L                   )

To:     International Bureau
                                            OPPosITION
        Telenor Satellite,Inc.("Telenor") hereby opposes the Petition to Hold in Abeyance or to

Grant with Conditions ("Petiion‘) iled by Mobile Satelite Ventures Subsidiary LLC (MSV®)

in this proceeding."
.       INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

        The Applications atissue in this proceeding seck authority for Telenor to offer Inmarsat
Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN®) services in the United States through the Inmarsat
4F2 satelite, which was launched on November 8, 2005, and will be deployed at the 52.75°
W.Lorbital location.* Grant ofTelenor‘s Applications is in the public interest because it will

‘ See MSV Petiton to Holin Abeyanceorto Grant with Condiions (Nov. 23, 2005). Concurenty with hi
OppesitionTelsnois filinga Moton to Svike porionsofthe MSV Peon. As sefrk in that Motin, the MSV
Pertion should be ticken becausitcontain edicted materilthat MSV refisesto diselostTelenor even under
a protectveorder, thisdepriingTelenor ofa full opportnityto respond. Ata minimum, th Bureaushould not
rely on any ofthisredacted materain making ts decision.
*Telenor has Ailed bth a Tite 1appleation, ile No SES:L.FS—20050020.01952 (AledSept. 30, 2009), seckinga
banket lcens for up to 20.000 BGAN mobile earth trminals (‘MESTX‘) and a Tite Ifapplcain,File NoTTC:
214—20051005—03395 (Rled Oct 5,2005) secking to ofer BGAN servic on a commoncarierbasis


 give U.S. customers access t a next—generation Mobile Satellite Services (MSS") offering,
 including e—mail, LAN, Internet, videoconferencing and voice communications. BGAN offers
 transmission speeds of up to 492 kbps, which is several imes faster than current MSS offerings,
 including those ofMSV. Moreover, the BGAN METs for which Telenor seeks blanket licensing
 are one—third the price, size and weight ofthose in use today with the Inmarsat system.
        BGAN will facilitat the extension ofbroadband communications to parts ofthe United
 States that are currently unserved or underserved by terrestrial networks. In addition, it will
restore broadband connectivity when natural disasters or other events disrupt terrestrial networks,
and thus will be an invaluable tool in the effort to promote U.S. homeland security. Customers
in Europe, Afica, the Middle East and Asia will have access to Inmarsat‘s BGAN services by

the end of this year. TFits Applications are approved prompily, Telenor will provide U.S.
customers with the same opportunity to enjoy high—speed MSS by early 2006, when testing of
the Inmarsat 4E2 satelliteis complete.
        MSV, in accordance with ts longstanding practice of using the regulatory process to
forestall competition, secks to delay the introduction ofBGAN services in the U.S. ather than
compete with those offerings in the marketplace.. Tn addition (and again true to form), MSV
secks to use this proceeding as leverage in it ongoing dispute with Inmarsat over the use ofL~
band frequencies. That dispute, however, should be resoived through the coordination
mechanism established by the Mexico City Memorandum of Understanding ("Mexico City
MOU*). Contrary to MSV‘ clims, a new international L—band coordination agreement is not
needed before Telenor‘s Applications can be granted. Indeed, two MSV satelite applications
were granted this year on a non—interference basis and in the absence of a new coordination
agreement. There is no reason totreat the Telenor Applications differently.


        Moreover,the Telenor Applications do not contain the alleged additional deficiencies

 identified by MSV. First, Inmarsat 4F2 is properly considered a replacement satelite for the
 Inmarsat 3 satellite at 54° W.L. because it will cover the same geographic area in the U.S.asthat
 satelite and will not use any additional L—band frequencies beyond those currently authorized.

 Second, the station—keeping rules relied on by MSV do not apply to MSS satelites, and MSV has
 not alleged any grounds for examining this issue on an ad hoc basis. Third, the Applications do
not raise national security orlew enforcement concemns, because Telenor has a valid National
 Security Agreement on file with the Commission, and has agreed with the Excentive Branch on
an amended implementation plan that includes BGAN services.

11.     MSV‘s SPECTRUMDISPUTE WITH INMARSAT DOES NOT PROVIDE A
        BASIS FOR DELAYING OR CONDITIONING TELENOR‘S APPLICATIONS.
        MSV‘s Petition seeks to use this proceeding as additional leverage in ts ongoing dispute
with Inmarsat over L—band spectrum. The Bureau should not accede to MSV‘s request to delay
or condition these Applications because that would be inconsistent with the Commission‘s
treatment ofprevious L—band applications, including those ofMSV itself. Tn addition, granting
MSV‘s Petition would violate DISCO—If principles governing the treatment of foreign satelltes
Hieensed to WTO member countries, and would deny U.S. consumers access to needed MSS
services that will soon be available in other parts ofthe world. Accordingly, the Bureau should
reject MSV‘s tired arguments and act promptly to grant Telenor‘s Applications,
       A. A New L—band Coordination Agreement Is Not a Prerequisite to a Grant of
          Telenor‘s Applications.
       MSV asserts that action on Telenor‘s Applications should be delayed "until the

conclusion of a coordination agreement that results in a more effient assignment of L—band


 spectrum among the existing operators:"" However, the absence of such an agreement is no bar
 to action on pending L—band applications, as MSV*s own experience demonstrates, In the past
 twelve months, the Bureau has granted two MSV applications to operate in the L—band — one for
 a replacement satelit at 101° W.L., and the other for a new satellite (not contemplated by the
Mexico City MOU) at 63.5 ° W.L.* Rather than delay action on cither application, the Bureau
 granted both on a non=interference basis.® Telenor merely asks that the Burcau treat its

Applications in a similar manner.
        Inmarsat 4F2 is licensed by the United Kingdom, a WTO Member. Therefore, the
Commission must afford the same treatment to Inmarsat service providers such as Telenor that t
does to MSV. To do otherwise would be a violation ofU.S. market access commitmentin the
WTO Agreement. In 1999 and again in 2001, the Commission declined to exact coordination
concessions fivorable to MSV as the price for U.S. market access,because to do so would
violate U.S. WTO commitments.® The same principle applies with equal foree today.
        MSV ascerts that Inmarsat 4F2 presents spectrum management issues that are
"fundamentally different" from those considered in previous proceedings." In particular, it
claims that Inmarsat 4F2 has higher power and wider carriersthat will make it more likely both
to cause interference to and to suffer interference from other L—band systems. Once again, MSV


? Reiton at ; see aso d at7—14
* Mobil Saelite Ventures Subsidiary LLC,DA 05— (el Jn, 10,200%) CMSY 101° Order"); Mobile Sarette
Ventires Subsidary LLC, DA 08—1492 (red, May23, 2005) CMSY 63.5° Orter)
* MGV 101° Onderat 595 MSY 63.5° Order339.
* See SarcomSytems,Inc, t l, 14 ECC Red 20798, 20813 (1999) (TMMarke Aecess Order®); COMSAT Corp
htCOMSAT Mabile Communicatons etel, 16 FCC Red. 21661,21669(rl. Oct.9, 2001)(‘hmerset Morter
Aecess Order), Seealso Anendent ofthe Conmision‘s Regulatory Plicies o Alow Non—US, Licensed
setelitesto ProvideDomesti and Internriona Setlite Servcen the Unied Sute, 12 ECC Red. 24094, 24104
(omCpiscoum.
"Periton t9.


 is asking the Bureau to apply a double standard. The MSV satellites authorized carler tis year

 also have higher power and (much) wider carriers than MSV‘s existing satellies, and one of
 them will be deployed at an entirely new orbital Tocation. Nevertheless,the Bureau id not hold
 those applications in sbeyance; it simply required MSV to operate on a non—harmful interference
 basis until coordination is completed. The Bureau should apply the same standard here.
         In any event, MSV‘sallegations about potentialinterference are unsubstantiated and
 wrong. The higher available spacecraft power on Inmarsat 4R2 (relative to Inmarsat 3) is used to
 support additional MSS users, and to support the provision of BGAN service in addition to the
 Inmarsat services being provided today on Inmarsat 3. Significantly, the EIRP spectral density
ofthe BGAN carriers on Inmarsat4E2 will be nohigher than that of the carriers on Inmarsat 3
with the highest EIRP spectral density. Thus, Inmarsatwill be able to ensure that the
interference from Inmarsat 4F2 is no greater than that from Inmarsat 3F4.
        Likewise, the interference to Inmarsat 4F2 should be no greater than the interference to
Inmarsat 3. The global beams on both setelltes have the same receive sensitivity, and the spot
beams on Inmarsat 4F2 have better receive performance, as well as better side—lobe roll—off, than
those on Inmarsat 3. Forall these reasons, Inmarsat is confident that it can provide service over
Inmarsat 4F2 that is no more susceptible to interference than service over Inmarsat 3.
        B. Telenor Should Be Allowed to Use All Available Inmarsat Spectrum on a Non—
           Interference Basis.

        MSV suggests thatif the Telenor Applications are granted, there should be a condition
preventing Telenor‘s BGAN METs from accessing Inmarsat 4F2 via frequencics that were
allegedly "Toaned" by MSV to Inmarsat.® Telenor opposes any such condition. The BGAN
METs should be free to use all othe frequencies available to Inmarsat, on a non—harmful

* Peidon at 117.


 interference bsis, subject to the outcome of anyinternational coordination. MSV‘s reliance on

the Mexico City MOU is unavailing. While the precise terms ofthat MOU are confidentia, itis
public knowledge that the MOU did not assign any L—band frequency to any nation or any
operator. Rether, it contemplated a series of one—year operating agreements that assigned
frequencies toindividual operators only for that discrete period of ime, and the most recent of
those agreements expired in 1999." Given that set ofcircumstances, both the Commission and
the courts have consistently held thatall MSS operators and service providers may use the entire
range of L—band frequencies on a non—harmful interference basis® The Bureau should not treat
Telenor differently now. Ifa new intemational agreement changes the spectrum available to
Inmareat, Telenor will modify the operation ofits BGAN METs. In the absence of such an
agreement, however, there is no reason to condition these Applications.
111.    Msy‘s ADDITIONAL ISSUES ARE WITHOUT MERIT
        A.——     The Inmarsat 4F2 Is Properly Regarded as a Replacement Satellte,
        MSV supgests that there is insullicient evidence in the record to support Telenor‘s
assertion that the Inmarsat 4F2 should be treated as a replacement satellie."" As a threshold

mater, the "bond posting" rule that MSV cites in support of this argument, 47 CER. §
25.165(e)is inapplicable because the Inmarsat 4F2 has already been launched. In any event,
Telenor will use the Inmarsat 4F2 to serve CONUS, Puerto Rico and the U.8. Virgin Islands.
These are the seme areas that Telenor currently serves via the Inmarsat 3B4 satellite at 54°W.L.,
and even if they were not, the Commission has previously treated MSV‘s satelltes as
*.TMMI Mrket deces Order, 14 ECC Red at 20614,offd sub nom. AMSC Subsidlry Corp v. PCG, 216 F3d 1184,
1155.60(D.C. C200 (MC»: RCC),.
"* TAMarkes dccess Order, 14 ECC Red at 20814 AMC v. FCC, 216 F3 at1199—40; umarsot Market Aecess
Order, 16 ECC Red t 21698—21699; SV 63.5¢ Order t 23; MSY 101° Order ar 34.
"Pestionat 17.


replacements even though they proposed to serve additional areas,"* so MSV is once again

asking the Commission to reat a competitor more stringentlythan MSV itself. The Inmarsat
4F2 wil also use the same service link frequencies as the Inmarsat 3F4, and will be located only
 1.25° from the current location of the Inmarsat 3F4. Thus, Inmarsat 4F2 will serve as an

operational substitute to, and will operate within the umbrella of the technical parameters
previously coordinated for, ts predecessor, Inmarsat 3F4. Moreover, contrary to MSV‘s claim,""
there is no inconsistencybetween Telenor‘s applications and Inmarsat‘s recent SEC filings
regarding the future deployment ofthe Inmarsat 35; Telenor‘s application merely stated that the
Inmarsat3 at 54° W.L. would be retred from service at that location, not that it would be

entirely decommissioned. For all these reasons, the Inmarsat 4F2 can properly be considered as
a replacement satelite under the Commission‘s Rules.

        B.       The Station—Keeping Rule Cited byMSV Does Not Apply to MSS Satellites
        Despite MSV‘s assertions to the contrary,""the Commission has now made clear thats

+/ 0.05 east—west station—keeping rule,47 C.FR. § 25.210(), does nor apply to MSS satelites.
Specifically, n its 2004 decision on orbital debris mitigation, the Commission "declinefd, at this
time, t adopt changes to Section 25.210G) to specify a longitudinal tolerance of+/—0.05° for all
space stations, including MSS and remote sensing stations.""". Accordingly, Telenor is not
required to seck a waiver ofthis rule. And while the Commission reserved the right to impose
station—keeping conditions on a case—by—case basis,"® MSV has not asserted any reason why these


* wP 10090E Order se 3—44.
" Peiton at 17.18.
" Peition t 149.
"Afiigation ofOrbialDetris, 19 FCC Red 11567,11586 2004
" latist7.


 conditions would be appropriate at 52.75°WX..(as opposed to, for example, 101° W.L.,the
 much more congested area where MSV operates). In any event, Inmarsat has coordinated the
operation ofInmarsat 4F2 with adjacent operators and has ensured that the station—keeping boxes
do not overlap. In short, the Telenor Applications do not raisany station—keeping concems.
         £.      Telenor Has Met Its National Security and Law Enforeement Obligations to
                 the Satisfaction of the Executive Branch.

         MSV supgests that Telenor‘s Applications should be subjected to further serutiny
because "while Telenor states thatit has reached a revised agreement with the Executive Branch
to address the admitted national security and law enforcement concemns presented by operation
of the BGAN terminals, it has not filed this agreement in the record," thus "depriv[ing} interested
parties ofvitainformation needed to assess whether grant of the application will serve the public
interest.""" MSV‘s assertion both misreads Telenor‘s Applications and misconstrucs MSV‘s
role with respect with the national security aspects ofthose Applications.
        Telenor‘s national security agreement with the Exccutive Branch was filed with the
Commission when Telenor aequired COMSAT Mobile Communications in 2001. That
agreementis applicable to BGAN and has not changed. What has changed to incorporate
BGAN, following negotistions with the Exeeutive Branch, is Telenor‘s implementation plan
pursuant to that agreement."* For obvious reasons, that implementation plan is not publicly

available,so MSV would not have an opportunity to comment upon it in any event. Simply
stated, Telenor‘s arrangements with the Exeeutive Branch are not a matter for public comment
by competiive MSS providers.


 petidon at 19.20.
" See BGAN MET Aplication, AdditonalResponseto em 43 at 67.


         The Bureau should also reject MSV‘s attemptto delay processing of these applications

 because ofalleged concems about BGAN‘s abilityto comply with E911 requirements." As
 MSV knows, MSS providers are not now subject to these requirements.. When and ifthat
 situation changes, Telenor will take immediate action to address the Commission‘s concerns.
 Iv...   CoNCLUsION
         Telenor‘s proposed BGAN service promises to bring about a new era in MSS
communications, With BGAN, U.S. customers will have access t a wide array ofbroadband
offerings that are not currently available in the United States from any MSS provider.. The
Bureau should not counterance MSV‘s effortsto forestall competiion from this exciting new
service. Rather, for the reasons stated sbove,the Bureau should dismiss or deny the MSV
Petiion and should prompily grant the Telenor Applications.
                                            Respectfully submitted,
                                            TELENOR SATELLITE, INC
                                            By,
                                                  Keith H. Fogen
                                                  1001 Wootton Parkway
                                                  Rockville, MD 20852
                                                  (301) 838—7860
                                               Ts Artomey
December 7, 2008




!* Pettion t 20.


                                CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE


       1, Keith H. Fagan, hercby certify that on this 7° day of December, 2008, I served a copy
of the foregoing "Opposition" by first class mail, postage prepsid, upon the following:

Bruce D. Jacobs                              Jennifer A. Manner
David S. Konczal                             Vice President, Government Affairs
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP          Mobile Satelite Ventures Subsidiary LLC
2300 N Street, N.W.                          1002 Park Ridge Boulevard
Washington, D.C. 20037                       Reston, VA 20191
John P. Janka                                Diane J. Comell
Jeffiey A. Marks                             Vice President, Govemment Afairs
Latham & Watkins LLP                         Inmarsat, Inc.
555 Eleventh Street, N.W.                    1100 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 1000                                   Suite 1425
Washington, D.C. 2004                        Arlington, VA 22209


                                                     woanl D‘,(’*—*
                                             Keit    [ Fagn



Document Created: 2005-12-14 11:43:18
Document Modified: 2005-12-14 11:43:18

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