Attachment Dismissal ltr

Dismissal ltr

DECISION submitted by FCC

Dismissal ltr

2009-04-03

This document pretains to SES-MOD-20051110-01561 for Modification on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESMOD2005111001561_706679

                        Federal Communications Commission
                                 Washington, D.C. 20554

                                                                                       DA 09—766

                                           April 3, 2009


Bruce D. Jacobs
Tony Lin
John K. Hane
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
2300 N Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
Counsel for SkyTerra Subsidiary LLC
                                  Re:    File Nos. SES—AMD—20081210—01590, SAT—AMD—
                                         20081210—00228, SAT—AMD—20081210—00229, SAT—
                                         MOD—20051104—00211, SAT—MOD—20051104—00212,
                                         SES—MOD—20051110—01561

Dear Sirs:

On December 10, 2008, SkyTerra Subsidiary LLC ("SkyTerra") filed the referenced amendments
to its pending applications for modification of operating authority for ATC base stations and
mobile terminals. The amendments include requests for waivers of technical limits in Section
25.253 of the Commission‘s rules, a request for authority to operate with additional air interface
protocols, and a request for authority to operate in accordance with a spectrum plan in the
coordination agreement between affiliated SkyTerra companies and Inmarsat Global Limited.
Section 25.112 of the Commission‘s rules states that an application will be returned as
unacceptable for filing if, inter alia, it is "defective with respect to completeness of answers to
questions [or] informational showings ... or ... does not substantially comply with the
Commission‘s rules, regulations, specific requests for information, or other requirements" and
does not state reasons for waiving such rules or requirements.
The amended applications are deficient in the following' respects.
     Section 25.149(a) requires applicants for ATC operating authority to demonstrate that the
     applicant will comply with the guidelines for human exposure to radio frequency radiation
     defined in Section 1.1307(b) and Section 1.1310, which incorporates by reference the
     guidelines in Section 2.1093 pertaining to portable devices. SkyTerra has not provided any
     demonstration that operation of ATC base stations and mobile terminals with the radiated
     power specifications that SkyTerra currently proposes would comply with the guidelines in
     Sections 1.1307(b), 1.1310, and 2.1093.
    Section 25.253(c)(1) requires an applicant for ATC operating authority in the 1525—1559
    MHz and 1626.5—1660.5 MHz bands to demonstrate how its ATC network would comply
    with the priority and preemptive access requirements in Footnotes US308 and US315 to the
    table of frequency allocations in Section 2.106. SkyTerra‘s predecessor in interest explained
    how it would provide priority and preemptive access while using the GSM air interface


                                    Federal Communications Commission                      DA 09—766


     protocol.‘ In the amended applications, SkyTerra is proposing to use air interface protocols
     other than GSM but has not explained how it would meet the requirements of Footnotes
     US308 and US315 while operating with such other protocols.
     Section 25.253(f) requires operation of any base station located within 27 km or radio
     horizon of a Search—and—Rescue Satellite—Aided Tracking ("SARSAT") earth station
     receiving in the 1544—1545 MHz band to be coordinated with respect to the SARSAT
     station. The specified 27 km coordination threshold is predicated on the base—station
     emission limits prescribed in Section 25.253(b) and 25.253(d)(1)—(4). In the referenced
     amendments, SkyTerra requests waiver of those emission limits and proposes to coordinate
     full—power base stations with SARSAT receivers located within 80 km and coordinate
     "microcell" base stations with SARSAT receivers within 45 km. SkyTerra has not presented
     any rationale, however, to demonstrate that the proposed threshold distances for coordination
     would suffice to protect SARSAT operation from harmful interference from base stations
     operating with the emission specifications currently proposed.
     SkyTerra has not supported its request for waivers of the limits in Section 25.253(b), (d), and
     (g)(1) with a showing regarding interference impact on radio systems operated by anyone
     other than Inmarsat.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 25.112(a)(1) of the Commission‘s rules, 47 C.F.R. § 25.112(a)(1),
and Section 0.261 of the rules on delegation of authority, 47 C.F.R. § 0.261, the referenced
applications, as amended, are dismissed without prejudice to refiling.
In the event that SkyTerra refiles the ATC modification applications, it should update its system
description as necessary to comport with its current plans and should explain why its ATC base
stations and mobile terminals should be allowed to operate with higher power than the
Commission‘s rules permit for PCS or AWS base stations and mobile terminals. SkyTerra should
also explain, in any such refiled application, how it would comply with the requirement in
Section 25.149(a)(6) while operating with 10 MHz ATC carriers, as proposed in the referenced
amendments (narrative at p.9).



                                                    Sincerely,




                                                   Robert G. Nelson
                                                   Chief, Satellite Division
                                                   International Bureau




‘ Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC, Order and Authorization, 19 FCC Red 22144 (Int‘l Bur. 2004)
at 37.                                                                    '



Document Created: 2009-04-06 15:39:04
Document Modified: 2009-04-06 15:39:04

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