Thales reply to Irid

REPLY submitted by Thales Avionics, Inc.

Thales updated reply to Iridium

2017-06-05

This document pretains to SES-LIC-20170217-00183 for License on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESLIC2017021700183_1234627

                                                   BEFORE THE
         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                       WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554



------------------------------------------------------
In the Matter of                                       )
                                                       )
Thales Avionics, Inc.                                  )   File Nos. SES-LIC-20170217-00183
700 S. Babcock Street                                  )             SES-AMD-20170414-00381
Melbourne, FL 32901 USA                                )
                                                       )   Call Sign: E170068
Applications for Blanket License to                    )
Operate Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft                 )
------------------------------------------------------



                 REPLY TO OPPOSITION OF IRIDIUM CONSTELLATION LLC




I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

         Thales herby request the Commission considers this updated version “REPLY TO

OPPOSITION OF IRIDIUM CONSTELLATION LLC”, dated June 5th, 2017. This “updated”

reply supersedes the reply that was submitted June 2nd, 2017. Thales Avionics, Inc. (“Thales”),

pursuant to Section 25.154(c) of the Commission’s rules,1 hereby replies to the petition to deny filed

by Iridium Constellation LLC (“Iridium”)2, in response to Thales’s above-referenced applications.

Thales’s applications request a blanket license to operate earth stations aboard aircraft (ESAA) that

would communicate with certain geostationary satellite orbit (“GSO”) Fixed-Satellite Service

(“FSS”) space stations.

II. DISCUSSION

1
 47 C.F.R. § 25.154.
2
 Petition to Deny of Iridium, File Nos. SES-LIC-20170217-00183 and SES-AMD-20170414-00381, (filed
05/26/2017), “Petition to Deny”.


                                                       -2-

Iridium’s petition to deny encompasses 50 MHz between the 29.25 - 29.3 GHz band, which is

reserved for MSS feeder links and for communications between GSO FSS space stations and earth

stations in fixed locations and the band plan makes no provision for GSO FSS communications with

earth stations in motion.3 Thales appreciates Iridium’s comments and understands that the 29.25 -

29.3 GHz band is used by Iridium for its feeder links. Thales therefore, agrees with Iridium and the

importance of the 29.25 - 29.3 GHz band, as it is part of Iridium’s feeder link services, and

therefore agrees to removing the 50 MHz portion of Thales’ Application covering between 29.25 to

29.3 GHz. Thales requests that the Commission remove the 50 MHz between 29.25 – 29.3 GHz

band in Thales applications and move forward with grant of the use of the 18.3 – 19.3, 18.638 –

18.763, 19.7 – 20.2, 28.438 – 28.563, 29.3 – 30.0 and 29.5 – 30.0 GHz bands for Thales high-speed

in-flight connectivity (IFC) services.


III. PUBLIC INTEREST BENEFITS

Grant of this application will serve the public interest. Thales is a global leader in providing

leading-edge in-flight entertainment (IFE) and high-speed IFC services to commercial Airlines,

their passengers, and crews. Thales’s IFC services will provide Airlines with new opportunities to

meet passengers’ increasing demands for reliable, robust, high-speed IFC while also providing

Airlines with access to critical, real-time data streams from inflight aircraft to help improve

operational efficiencies. Notably, grant of the requested applications will serve the public interest by

allowing Thales to meet broadband needs of US Airline passengers and offer services such as IFE

and In-flight wireless and internet connectivity for passengers’ Wi-Fi enabled personal electronic

devices including laptop computers, tablets and smartphones, VPN client access and mobile

applications.4


3
    See Iridium opposition at ¶ 9
4
    See Federal Communications Commission, Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan (2010) at 16-18.


                                                 -3-

IV. CONCLUSION

Based on the foregoing, Thales requests the Commission remove the 29.25 - 29.3 GHz band and

grant immediately its applications, Call Sign E170068, for use of the bands 18.3 – 19.3, 18.638 –

18.763, 19.7 – 20.2, 28.438 – 28.563, 29.3 – 30.0 and 29.5 – 30.0 GHz. Grant of these applications

will advance the Commission’s broadband goals, is in the public interest, by allowing users to

benefit directly from the applications and content they access through high-speed in-flight networks.



Respectfully submitted,

June 5, 2017

                                             Thales Avionics, Inc.
                                             700 S. Babcock Street
                                             Melbourne, FL 32901 USA



                                             By:    /s/
                                                     Pat Amodio
                                                     Senior Director - Regulatory Compliance




                                  CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE


        I, Gergana Hardy, do hereby certify that on this 5th day of June, 2017, I served a true copy
of the foregoing by first class mail upon the following:


                                                       Maureen C. McLaughlin
                                                       Vice President Public Policy
                                                       Iridium Constellation LLC
                                                       1750 Tysons Boulevard
                                                       Suite 1400
                                                       McLean, VA 22102


                                                       /s/
                                                       Gergana Hardy



Document Created: 2017-06-05 19:04:51
Document Modified: 2017-06-05 19:04:51

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