Attachment Exhibit 1

This document pretains to SES-MFS-20190214-00089 for Modification w/ Foreign Satellite (earth station) on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESMFS2019021400089_1626818

                                               EXHIBIT 1

                        DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED MODIFICATION
                                 (Response to Question 43)

          Pursuant to Section 25.117 of the Commission’s rules,1 EchoStar Operating L.L.C.

(“EchoStar”) requests to modify licenses for four earth stations in Cheyenne, WY,

Blackhawk/Summerset, SD, and Gilbert, AZ (Call Signs E980005, E020248, E150098, and

E070014) to change points of communications by adding the EchoStar 23 satellite at 72.6º W.L.,

and deleting EchoStar 23 at 44.9º W.L., as a point of communications for telemetry, tracking,

and control (“TT&C”) and feeder link communications. 2

          Launched in March 2017, EchoStar 23 is a Brazilian-licensed Ku-band Broadcasting-

Satellite Service (“BSS”) satellite currently operating at 44.9º W.L. Despite initial plans to

operate EchoStar 23 to provide direct-to-home (“DTH”) television service to Brazil, EchoStar

has determined that the satellite will be better utilized at the 72.6º W.L. orbital location, in

conjunction with the Canadian-licensed Nimiq 5 satellite at 72.7º W.L., to support ongoing DTH

service for DISH Network, L.L.C.’s (“DISH”) satellite television network. Accordingly, the

requested modification will allow regular operations of EchoStar 23 at 72.6° W.L. for service to

DISH subscribers in the United States and Canada.3

          For TT&C and feeder link communications with EchoStar 23, the subject earth stations

will operate on the following frequencies, consistent with the frequency bands and other

technical parameters specified under their existing licenses:


1
    See 47 C.F.R. § 25.117.
2
  EchoStar is concurrently filing applications for special temporary authority to operate the subject earth
stations for TT&C and feeder link communications with EchoStar 23 during its relocation to, and
operations at, the 72.6º W.L. orbital location.
3
 A modification application will be filed shortly for blanket licensing authority to operate receive-only
U.S. earth stations for reception of service from the EchoStar 23 satellite at 72.6º W.L.

                                                     1


         •       17.300 – 17.310 GHz and 17.791 GHz for TT&C uplinks;

         •       12.200 – 12.210 GHz for TT&C downlinks; and

         •       17.300 – 17.800 GHz for feeder uplinks.

         All four earth stations are already licensed for TT&C and feeder link communications

using the above-specified frequencies with EchoStar 23 at 44.9º W.L., and have been frequency

coordinated over a geostationary satellite arc that includes the 72.6º W.L. orbital location. Thus,

the proposed operations will not cause harmful interference to other authorized operations.4

         The proposed operations will serve the public interest by allowing EchoStar the

flexibility to manage its satellite fleet efficiently, provide for more productive use of its satellites,

and further ensure full use of spectrum and uninterrupted service from the nominal 72.6º W.L.

orbital location. Indeed, the Commission has a longstanding policy of leaving fleet management

decisions to satellite operators because doing so generally serves the public interest.5

Specifically, the Commission has determined that a satellite licensee “is in a better position to

determine how to tailor its system to meet the particular needs of its customers.”6 Thus, the

Commission “will generally grant a [satellite] licensee’s request to modify its system, provided

there are no compelling countervailing public interest considerations.”7 Consequently, consistent

with its rules and policies, the Commission should grant the proposed modification to add


4
 Additionally, the proposed operations are substantially consistent with Section 25.118(a)(3) of the
Commission’s rules, allowing earth station operators to change a satellite point of communication without
prior authorization under certain circumstances when an earth station antenna is not repointed beyond the
coordinated range. See 47 C.F.R. § 25.118(a)(3).
5
 See SES Americom, Inc., Order and Authorization, 21 FCC Rcd 3430, ¶ 8 (2006) (“SES Americom”);
AMSC Subsidiary Corporation, Order and Authorization, 13 FCC Rcd 12316, ¶ 8 (IB 1998) (“AMSC”).
6
    AMSC ¶ 8.
7
 Id.; see also SES Americom ¶ 8 (2006) (FCC “generally has allowed satellite operators to rearrange
satellites in their fleet to reflect business and customer considerations where no public interest factors are
adversely affected”).

                                                      2


EchoStar 23 as a point of communications at the 72.6º W.L. orbital location for TT&C and

feeder link communications required for service to U.S. and Canadian consumers.




                                              3



Document Created: 2019-02-14 16:02:17
Document Modified: 2019-02-14 16:02:17

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