Attachment Inmarsat Opposition

This document pretains to SES-LIC-20120426-00397 for License on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESLIC2012042600397_1087920

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                                                                             Accepteq ; Filee
                                            Before the                            MAY 11 20
                      FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSI}QUN                                  4   2015
                                     Washin: gton, D.C. 20554                   OfticeofeonZommisston
                                                                          édgetal Co   i


In the Matter of

Inmarsat Mobile Networks, Inc.                       File Nos. SES—LIC—20120426—00397,
                                                     SES—AMD—20120823—00781, and SES—
Application to Operate a Fixed—Satellite             AMD—20150114—00008
Service Gateway Earth Station Facility in
Lino Lakes, Minnesota with the Inmarsat—5            Call Sign: E120072
F2 Space Station



    OPPOSITION TO PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION OR CLARIFICATION

       Inmarsat Mobile Networks, Inc. ("Inmarsat") opposes the petition for reconsideration or

clarification ("Petition") of Iridium Satellite LLC ("Iridium") in this proceeding. The Petition

relates to the March 30, 2015 grant of authority for Inmarsat to operate a gateway earth station at

Lino Lakes, Minnesota, communicating with the Ka band GSO FSS Inmarsat—5 F2 spacecraft

("Inmarsat—5 F2"), which operates under the authority of the United Kingdom at 55° W.L.‘

Iridium requests modifications and clarifications to the Order that are inconsistent with the terms

of coordination between Inmarsat and Iridium, and that could prejudice future coordination

between the operators.

       In the Order, the Commission granted Inmarsat authority to conduct uplink operations

from the Lino Lakes gateway in parts of the Ka band, including the 29.1—29.25 GHz segment.

Because this segment is designated for LMDS transmissions and NGSO MSS feeder links on a

co—primary basis, and there is no designation for GSO FSS in this band, the Commission


       See Inmarsat Mobile Networks, Inc., Application to Operate a Fixed—Satellite Service
       Gateway Earth Station Facility in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, with the Inmarsat—5 F2 Space
       Station, File Nos. SES—LIC—20120426—00397, SES—AMD—20120823—00781, and SES—
       AMD—20150114—00008, Call Sign E120072, Order and Authorization and Declaratory
       Ruling, DA 15—392 (rel. Mar. 30, 2015) ("Order").


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conditioned its grant of authority on "Inmarsat [] ceas[ing] operations in the event of any

interference into LMDS or MSS feeder link operations. In addition, Inmarsat may not claim

interference protection from LMDS or MSS feeder link operations in this frequency band.""

       The Commission‘s grant of authority to operate in the 29.1—29.25 GHz band segment was

based on its determination that the geographic separation of the Lino Lakes gateway from

Iridium‘s gateway locations, agreed during the course of coordination, provided sufficient spatial

isolation to allow Inmarsat‘s use of the band without causing harmful interference to Iridium‘s

system." The Commission recognized that this sharing technique, agreed upon to protect

Iridium‘s feeder link operations at 29.25—29.5 GHz band, adequately protects Iridium‘s MSS

feeder link operations at 29.1—29.25 GHz in the same manner.*

       In its Petition, Iridium requests that the International Bureau (the "Bureau") reconsider its

grant of authority in the Order for Inmarsat‘s operations in the 29.1—29.25 GHz band to reference

explicitly the relationship of that authority to future MSS feeder link stations that Iridium may

deploy. In addition, Iridium asks that the Bureau "clarify" that Inmarsat may not claim

interference protection for its spacecraft receivers with respect to any Iridium MSS feeder link

operations in the 29.1—29.25 GHz band, and Iridium apparently seeks to impose that condition

notwithstanding the terms of its coordination with Inmarsat.

        Iridium‘s request for reconsideration or clarification is unwarranted and unnecessary.

As a threshold matter, the operations of Lino Lakes will be entirely within the technical envelope

defined by the terms of coordination between the operators, which cover both the earth stations

and space stations for the Iridium and Inmarsat networks,


2      Order [ 41.
3      Id. § 17.
*      Order | 17.


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                         . Iridium‘s request to expand the ordering condition to cover future

feeder link stations could inadvertently change the terms of coordination and improperly expand

the scope of Iridium‘s rights under those agreements. Inmarsat urges the Commission to refrain

from taking action on reconsideration that could undermine the results of coordination.

       Moreover, under the terms of coordination, technical compatibility in the 29.1—29.25 GHz

band segment is ensured for the same reason it is ensured at 29.25—29.3 GHz. Any future Iridium

MSS feeder link operations will need to be implemented under the terms of coordination, just as

the Lino Lakes gateway was implemented in a manner consistent with coordination. Changing

the terms under which future Iridium MSS feeder link operations would otherwise need to be

implemented, as Iridium seeks to do by its Petition, could impede the willingness of parties to

enter into coordination agreements in the future.

       Finally, Inmarsat respectfully requests that the Commission decline to apply the non—

interference condition specifically to the receivers on the Inmarsat—5 F2 satellite, as Iridium

requests in the Petition. As an initial matter, this condition is unnecessary because the operations

of the Lino Lakes gateway with Inmarsat—5 F2 will be fully consistent with the terms of

Inmarsat‘s coordination with Iridium. Moreover, such a condition would be overbroad.

Inmarsat—5 F2 is authorized by the United Kingdom, and serves a large geographic area outside

the United States that is covered by the terms of coordination. Thus, the receivers on the

spacecraft receive signals from other parts of the world. Any terms of U.S. market access that

apply to Inmarsat operations with respect to the United States should not reflexively be extended

to operations outside of the United States, where the U.S. spectrum band plan does not apply.

                                            *#   oo#   o#   ko   o#


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       Iridium‘s request to modify conditions applicable to Inmarsat‘s operations are

unnecessary and overbroad. Innmarsat‘s operations at 29.1—29.25 GHz already are governed by

the terms of coordination between Inmarsat and Iridium,

                                        and also govern space station interference protection with

respect to operations outside the United States. Therefore, Inmarsat respectfully requests that

Iridium‘s Petition be denied.

                                                 Respectfully submitted,




                                           //


Christopher J. Murphy                             John P. Janka
Vice President, Government Affairs                Elizabeth R. Park
INMARSAT, INC.                                    LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
1101 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.                     555 Eleventh Street, N.W.
Suite 1200                                        Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20036                            Washington, D.C. 20004
Telephone: (202) 248—5158                         Telephone: (202) 637—2200




May 11, 2015


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                                     CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

         I, Elizabeth R. Park, hereby certify that on this 11th day of May, 2015, I served a true copy of the
foregoing Opposition of Inmarsat to the Petition for Reconsideration or Clarification of Iridium via
electronic mail (to parties that have consented to electronic service in this proceeding), or, where
indicated, via first—class U.S. mail, upon the following:

        Joseph A. Godles
        Goldberg Godles Wiener & Wright LLP
        Jgodles@g2w2.com

        Eutelsat, S.A. (via U.S. mail)
        Brian D. Weimer       _
        Sheppard, Mullin, Richter& Hampton LLP
        2099 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 100
        Washington, DC 20006

        GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc. (via U.S. mail)
        1501 Green Road, Suite A—B
        Pompano Beach, FL 33064
        Attn: Timothy R. Young

        Globe Wireless LLC
        David B. Kagan
        President & CEO
        David.Kagan@globewireless.com
        Chris Gray
        Vice President of Marketing and
        Business Development
        Chris.Gray@globewireless.com

        Gogo LLC
        William J. Gordon
        Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
        Bgordon@gogoair.com

        American Airlines
        Robert A. Wirick
        Managing Director, Regulatory and International Affairs
        Robert. Wirick@aa.com
        Will Ris
        WillRis@aa.com

        Honeywell
        Chris Benich
        Vice President, Aerospace Regulatory Affairs
        Chris.Benich@honeywell.com

        Encompass Digital Media, Inc.
        Chris Weissinger
        cweissinger@encompass—m.com


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VT iDirect, Inc.
Kevin Steen
VP Corporate Development
Esteen@idirect.net
Cynthia Harty
Vice President of Contracts
cha;    idirect.net

Skyware Global
Gopi Sundaram
Vice President, Product Strategy
GopiSundaram@skywareglobal.com

The Boeing Company
Audrey L. Allison
Director, Frequency Management Services
Audrey.Allison@boeing.com

And Its Attorneys,

Bruce A. Olcott
Jones Day
bolcott@jonesday.com

TracStar Systems Inc., dba Cobham SATCOM
Mike Gregg
Mike.Gregg@cobham.com

ARINC Incorporated
John C. Smith
Vice President—Law, Secretary and General Counsel
JSmith@arine.com

And Its Attorneys,

Edward A. Yorkgitis, Jr.
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
CYorkgitis@KellyDrye.com



Document Created: 2015-05-13 11:01:18
Document Modified: 2015-05-13 11:01:18

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