Attachment Opposition

Opposition

OPPOSITION TO PETITION TO DENY submitted by Iridium Satellite LLC and Iridium Carrier Services LLC

Opposition

2005-12-22

This document pretains to SES-MOD-20050927-01330 for Modification on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESMOD2005092701330_482230

RECEIVED                                                                           ORIGINAL
 JAN 0 3 2006                                       Saunifie
                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION                          R EC
 Satalte Diision                            Washington, D.C. 20554                                EIVED
IntomationaiBcreau
                                                                                           DEC 2 2 2005
        In the Matter of                                     )                       Feies towe
          3           f                                      )                             ons e         mmaen
        Iridium Satellte LLC and                             )   File Nos. SES—MOD—20050927—013
        Iridium Carrier Services LLC                         )   and SES—MOD—20050927—01330
        Mobile Earth Station Modification Applications       )
                                                             )
        Special Temporary Authority                          )   File Nos. SES—8TA—20050930—01349
                                                             )   and SES—$TA—20050930—01350



                                   OPPOSITION To PETITION To DENY
                Pursuant to Section 25.154(c)ofthe Commission‘s rules, 47 C.ER. § 25.154(), Iidium
        Satellite LLC and Iridium Carrier Services LLC (collectively, "Iridium") oppose the petition
        (‘Petition") of Globalstar LLC ("Globalstar") to deny the above—captioned modification
        applications ("Applications") secking authorization to add amplifier equipment to the mobile
        satellte service (‘MSS") handsets authorized under Irdium‘s existing blanket mobile earth
        terminal (‘MET") licenses. To address Globalstar‘s interference concems, Iidium will
        implement minor modifications to the proposed equipment to ensure that the operating power of
        the equipment will be no higher than that of an Tridium handset. These modifications will be
        reflected in an amendment submitted concurrently with this filing.. As a result of these minor
        modifications, the proposed equipment will not create any greater risk of harmful interference




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 than an ordinary Iridium handset. Accordingly, the Commission should reject the Petiion and
 grant the Applications immediately."

 L      TRIDIUM IS NOT SEEKING ANY CHANGES IN THE FREQUENCIES
        AUTHORIZED UNDER ITS EXISTING MSS AND MET LICENSES

        As an initil matter, Globalstar misconstrues the scope of Tridium‘s request for
 modification. Tridium is secking to operate amplifier equipment on frequencies already assigned
to its MSS system, and not on additional or differentfrequencies. As stated in the Applications,
"the proposed equipment operates only on those frequencies within the 1.6 GHz band that are
assigned to the Iridium MSS system."". Although the FCC Forms 312 included in the
Applications specify a frequency range from 1616 MHz to 1626.5 MHz, this specification was
intended merely to conform to the terms of Iidium‘s existing blanket MET licenses, which
authorize MSS handsets "capable of operating in the 1616—1626.5 MHz frequency band."" The
frequencies that actually will be used by both the proposed equipment and the Iridium METs,
will be limited to those assigned to the Tridium MSS system and, to the extent applicable,
coordinated with Globalstar. The Applications do not seek any changes to the frequencies
authorized under Irdium‘s existing MSS and MET licenses. Moreover, the Applications do not




 ‘ In its Petition, Globalstar also requests that the Commission deny any further extension of
Iridium‘s special temporary authority (°STA") to operate the proposed equipment, but Iidium
has no pending request t extend its STA. Iridium notes, however, that t has been operating the
proposed equipment on a limited basis under the STA for more than a year without receiving any
interference complaints from Globalstar or any other licensee.
* Iridium Satellite LLC Application, File No. SES—MOD—20050927—01329,Exhibit 3 at 2—3
(Sept. 27,2005); Iridium Carrier Services LLC Application, File No. SES—MOD—20050927—
01330, Exhibit at 2 (Sept.27, 2005).
* Application of U.S. Leo Services, Inc., 11 FCC Red 20474, { 17 (In‘l Bur, 1996) (emphasis
added).


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 propose to operate the proposed equipment on frequencies in the 1618.25—1621.35 MHz band
 that have not been coordinated with Globalstar.
 TL      THE PROPOSED EQUIPMENT WILL NOT CAUSE HARMEUL
         INTERFERENCE TO GLOBALSTAR

         Through a combination of power set—up procedures and modified antenna design, the
peak effective isotropic radiated power ("EIRP") of the proposed equipment will be lower than
that of an ordinary Iridium handset. The power and EIRP levels for the proposed equipment set
forth in the Applications represent the maximum levels that the equipment was capable of
transmitting, without accounting for cable losses and assuming the original antenna design. In
practice, cable losses between the indoor repeater units and the outdoor antennas are taken into
account, and adjustment ofthe transmit power of the proposed equipment prior to installation
ensures that the maximum transmitted power will be appropriately reduced. Specifically, the
maximum power delivered to the antenna input of the proposed equipment will be adjusted prior
to installation so as to not exceed +7.8 dBW, regardless of the cable length between the indoor
repeater units and the outdoor antennas.

         Additionally, the outdoor transmit antenna of the proposed equipment will be modified to
be more omni—directional so thatits peak gain will be no greater than +2.5 dBi, a 3. dB

reduction from that of the originally proposed antenna design. ‘The radiation pattem ofthe
proposed antenna is almost identical to that of an Tridium handset and is shown in Figure 1

below.




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       The combination ofthese factors will reduce the maximum EIRP from the proposed

equipment (spread evenly over one, two or three Iidium carriers), t a level no greater than




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 +10.3 dBW, an 8.2 dB reduction from the level assumed by Globalstar (e, 18.5 dBW). In

comparison, the peak EIRP of an Iridium handsctis 11.95 dBW per carrier."
          Iridium concurrently is amending the Applications to reflectthe reduced power, antenna
gain, and EIRP levels ofthe proposed equipment. Consequently, as a result of both the modified
antenna design and the installation procedures for the proposed equipment, the proposed
equipment will be even more benign, from an interference perspective, than an ordinary Iridium
handset.
T1       THE PROPOSED EQUIPMENT MEETS THE MEAN EIRP DENSITY LIMIT
         SPECIFIED IN FOOTNOTE 5.364 OF THE ALLOCATIONS TABLE

         Contrary to Globalstar‘s contention, the proposed equipment meets the mean power
density limit specified in footnote 5.364 of the Table of Frequeney Allocations." Foonote 5.364
provides that a "mobile earth station operating ... in this [1610—1626.5 MHz] band shall not

produce a peak c.i.p. density in excess of —15 dBW4 kHz in the part of the band used by
{aeronautical radionavigation] systems."" For mobile earth stations operating in the part of the
1610—1626.5 MHz band not used by aeronsutical radionavigation system, Footote 5.364
specifies a "mean ei.p. density" limit of —3 dBWA4kHz."
         A search of the Universal Licensing System database does not disclose the assignment of
any seronautical radionavigation licenses in the 1618.25—1626.5 MHz band where the Irdium
MSS system is authorized to operate. Thus, the peak power density limit of —15 dBW/ kHz,

* See FCC Radio Authorization issued to ridium Carrier Services LLC (File No. SES—LIC—
199601 16—00005; Call Sign E960622) (granted Oct. 30, 1996).
* See 47 CFR.    §2.106, International Foomote 5.364.
o
 14. (emphasis added).



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 which applies only to the part of the 1610—1626.5 MHz band used by aeronautical
 radionavigation systems, does not appear to apply to any Iridium equipment operating in that
 band. Consequently, the only limit specified in footnote 5.364 that could apply here is the mean
 EIRP density limit of —3 dBW/4kHz." Table 1 of the attached Appendix demonstrates that the
 proposed equipment, with the modifications discussed in Section II above, meets this imit, even
 in the worst case when it is transmitting simultancously into all four TDMA time slots in the
 same Iridium channel.
Iv.        CoNCLUSION
        Tridium filed the Applications more than a year ago and has taken more than adequate
measures to ensure that the proposed equipment will not cause harmful interference to other
Hicensed services. Both the U.S. military and public sefety organizations have expressed an
urgent need for new products, such as the proposed equipment, that would enhance MS$
communications. Any further delay in the grant of the Applications would deprive Irdium




* In the unlikely event that the peak EIRP density limit of —15 dBW4 kHz applies, Idium
requests a waiver of that limit. A waiver would be appropriate because the proposed equipment
will be installed primarily, if not exclusively, in fixed locations and therefore would present a
substantially lower,if any, risk of interference to aeronautical radionavigation operations than
would mobile earth stations subject to footnote 5.364 requirements.




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customers of innovative equipment that would enhance their communications capabilites during
critical military operations and public safety missions. Based upon the foregoing, Iridium urges
the Commission immediately to reject the Petition and to grant the Applications.


                                                 Respectfully submitted,
                                                 IRIDIUM SATELLITE LLC and
                                                 IRIDIUM CARRIER SERYICES LLC



                                                 Wiley Rein & Ficl
                                                 1776 K St, NW
                                                 Washington, D.C. 20006
December 22, 2005                                Their Attomeys




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                                                      APPENDIX



Table 1 — Calculation of Mean Transmit EIRP per 4 kHz
                             Famaz                        Yae une                              Tonnas
                m             Te             mpare         To3 ~ RedPVemrmnant       sattymax i ane            porerat
                                                                      Inn Ts arioma does rot acont +7.8 0BArerea pok
                                                                      fain» «2s o0.
  7   Nes ranierf inaitrenn To inssc msere rndamet                     en hm TOW Teme s Tearda ha mmee,
  3   —|Rofina ha vawuntiiors ces h ba im TDuX fane       «m                Tema wl B28 me. a me n 3.1e me. Fane
                                                                      Exvatonis ome.
  7 emmoontmanttreprone                                     copar
  5 MemTidin reren ERE se ace                               solmwans_ isssrmin somene




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                                CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
        1, Christopher E. Ryan, do hereby certify that on December 22, 2005, a copy of the
 foregoing OPPOSITION was served by electronic mail or, asindicated below, by U.. mail
 upon the following:
  William T. Lake®                                   Scott Kotler
  Josh L. Roland                                     Branch Chief, Systems Analysis Branch
  Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dore LLP          Satellte Division, Intemational Bureau
  2445 M Street, NW                                  Federal Communications Commission
  Washington, D.C. 20037                             445 12th Street, SW
  Email: williom lake@wilmerhale.com                 Washington, DC 20554
         josh.roland@wilmerhale.com                  Email: scott kotler@fec.gov
    Counsel for Globalstar LLC

 Frank Peace                                        John Martin
 Satelite Division, Intemational Bureau             Senior Engineer, Satellite Division
 Federal Communications Commission                  International Bureau
 445 12th Street, SW                                Federal Communications Commission
 Washington, DC 20554                               445 12th Street, SW
 Email: frankpeace@fee.gov                          Washington, DC 20554
                                                    Email: john.martin@fec.gov
 Hsing Lin                                          Cassandra Thomas
 Stellte Division, Intemational Bureau              Deputy Division Chief
 Federal Communications Commission                  Satellite Division, International Bureau
 445 12th Street, SW                                Federal Communications Commission
 Washington, DC 20554                               445 12th Street, SW
 Email: hsingliu@fee.gov                            Washington, DC 20554
                                                    Email: CassandraThomas@fee.go

 Fem Jarmulnck                                      Karl Kensinger
 Deputy Division Chief                              Associate Division Chief
 Satellte Division, Intemational Bureau             Satellite Division, International Bureau
 Federal Communications Commission                  Federal Communications Commission
 445 12th Street, SW                                445 12th Street,SW
 Washington, DC 20554                               Washington, DC 20554
 Email: Fem Jarmulnck@fee.gov                       Email: Karl.Kensin




* By electronic mail and U.S. mail



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Document Created: 2006-02-09 11:30:20
Document Modified: 2006-02-09 11:30:20

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