Attachment Ex Parte Letter

Ex Parte Letter

LETTER submitted by Buck Flinn

Ex Parte

2006-05-25

This document pretains to SES-MFS-20060118-00050 for Modification w/ Foreign Satellite (earth station) on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESMFS2006011800050_513327

May 25, 2006 Chairman Kevin J. Martin Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Re: Obstacles to Delivery of Next-Generation Satellite Communications Services (File Nos. SES-LFS-20050826-01175; SES-MFS-20051122-01614; SES-STA-20060307-00374; SES- STA-20060310-00419; SES-LFS-20050930-01352; SES-MFS-20060118-00050; SES-STA- 20060308-00388; SES-STA-20060313-00430; SES-LFS-20051011-01396; SES-STA-20060314- 00438; SES-MFS-20051207-01709; SES-STA-20060307-00372; SES-LFS-20051123-01634; SES- STA-20060316-00454; SES-MFS-20051202-01665; SES-STA-20060307-00373; SES-LFS- 20060303-00343; SES-STA-20060315-00445) Dear Chairman Martin: The availability of broadband access for citizens of our state is quite important to me. For quite some time, I have been intimately involved in the efforts to establish a distance learning program to many rural and often forgotten areas of Mississippi. We had begun to make great progress along the Gulf Coast and Gulf Islands when the unthinkable happened – Hurricane Katrina. This powerful storm completely wiped out the infrastructure that we had planned to utilize for our Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program. While this natural disaster was catastrophic and as our Governor Barbour has stated so well, out of the rubble of Hurricane Katrina comes opportunity. During the post-Katrina information gathering stage, Community Development League sought the advice of many experts in the field of broadband capabilities and availability. However, we did not stop there. During this stage of the project, an unexpected by-product emerged. We found that the first responders needed and depended on this broadband access following Hurricane Katrina. We also found that Mobile Satellite Ventures’ mobile satellite communications played a key role in recovery efforts in the storm-ravaged areas where other means of communication had been destroyed. Further, we determined that by reallocating the L band spectrum and making it contiguous, this would not only improve communications but would allow better access for first responders, as well as provide service to rural areas - the same areas we are attempting to reach with our distance learning program using broadband. There is such a strong need for educational services in these areas and we feel that by reallocating the L band spectrum and by returning the “loaned” L band to MSV from Inmarsat, these goals will be more easily accomplished. In addition, the first responders would have the capability to “plug into” this network. Our first responders deserve the best in communications, especially with another hurricane season just around the corner. Community Development Leagues of America is acutely aware of the responsibilities that the Federal Communications Commission faces on a daily basis and that the Commission does not

take those responsibilities lightly. We would respectfully request serious consideration from the Commission in making its decisions on these issues. Thank you for your time and your consideration of this request. Yours very truly, Buck Flinn President cc: Senator Thad Cochran Senator Trent Lott Governor Haley Barbour


Document Created: 2006-07-26 10:59:42
Document Modified: 2006-07-26 10:59:42
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