Attachment ex parte

ex parte

Ex PARTE PRESENTATION NOTIFICATION LETTER submitted by Mobile Satellite Ventures LP

ex parte

2006-05-26

This document pretains to SES-STA-20060316-00454 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESSTA2006031600454_503420

— MSV
Mobile Satellite Ventures LP




                                               May 26, 2006
      Via Hand Delivery
      Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
      Secretary
     Federal Communications Commission
     445 12th Street, S.W.
     Washington, D.C. 20554

      Re:         Mobile Satellite Ventures LP
                  Ex Parte Presentation
                  File No. SES—STA—20060310—00419    (Call   Sign   EOS0249)
                  File No. SES—STA—20060313—00430    (Call   Sign   £OS50276)
                  File No. SES—STA—20060314—00438    (Call   Sign   EQ50284)
                  File No. SES—STA—20060315—00445    (Call   Sign   E0O60076)
                  File No. SES—STA—20060316—00454    (Call   Sign   EQ050348)

     Dear Ms. Dortch:


             The May 12, 2006 decisions granting the above—captioned requests for Special
     Temporary Authority ("STA") to operate Broadband Global Area Network ("BGAN) terminals
     using an uncoordinated Inmarsat satellite, Inmarsat 4F2 at 52.75°W, contain a number of very
     important and appropriate conditions that are essential to help mitigate the harmful interference
     that will result to customers of other L band Mobile Satellite Service ("MSS") operators once
     Inmarsat begins its uncoordinated BGAN operations. Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC
     ("MSV") requests that the International Bureau clarify certain of these conditions to improve
     their effectiveness.

             Condition 1. The May 12" decisions require the "downlink EIRP densities" at any
     geographical point within the United States to not exceed the levels previously authorized in
     connection with operations of the Inmarsat 3F4 satellite. As it did in limiting the aggregate
     uplink EIRP density, the Bureau should specify that the downlink EIRP limit is an aggregate
     limit. The Bureau should also clarify that the aggregate uplink and aggregate downlink EIRP
     density limits specified in Condition 1 apply in the aggregate to all Inmarsat satellites visible
     over North America. The condition as written appears to address only the emissions contributed
     by Inmarsat 4F2 to the aggregate emissions from all of Inmarsat satellites operating over North
     America. At least some of the frequencies used on the Inmarsat 4F2 at 52.75°W, however, are
     reused by Inmarsat on its other satellites visible over North America, which operate at 15.5°W,
     98°W, 142°W, 143°E, and 178°E. The Bureau should make clear that the aggregate uplink and
     aggregate downlink EIRP densities from all Inmarsat satellites, including Inmarsat 4F2, must not
     exceed the level that existed before launch of Inmarsat 4F2.


Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
May 26, 2006
Page 2

       Conditions 2 and 5. The May 12"" decisions impose conditions on Inmarsat‘s service
providers which should apply to Inmarsat as well. In Condition 2, the Bureau specified that
BGAN operations are permitted only on a strictly unprotected basis. Because MSV has no
means of determining which of the Inmarsat BGAN service providers may be responsible for
causing interference to MSV‘s operations, we urge the Bureau to make clear that upon MSV‘s
notice to Inmarsat of interference, Inmarsat and its service providers are jointly and severally
responsible for taking immediate action to rectify any interference. In Condition 5, the Bureau
explained that any action taken or expense incurred as a result of operations pursuant to this STA
by a BGAN service provider is solely at the service provider‘s own risk. MSV urges the Bureau
to similarly explain that any action taken or expense incurred by Inmarsat as a result of
operations pursuant to this STA is solely at its own risk.

       Condition 3. The May 12" decisions prohibit the STA holders from operating on certain
disputed frequencies. The STA holders, however, do not have access to the specific frequencies
covered by this condition. To ensure that the STA holders comply with this condition, MSV
urges the Bureau to require each of the STA holders to submit a certification from Inmarsat
declaring that Inmarsat has not and will not assign any unauthorized frequencies for operation of
the earth stations covered by the STA.

       Condition 4. The May 12decisions require "adequate guard bands" to be provided
between the band edges of the carriers used by the BGAN service provider and the band edges of
MSV‘s operations to preclude the possibility of unacceptable interference to MSV s operations.
Rather than relying on Inmarsat to determine what constitutes an "adequate guard band," the
Bureau should specify a guard band of at least 50 kHz between the band edges of the carriers
used by the BGAN service provider andthe band edges of MSV‘s coordinated frequencies. This
specification is essential because MSV has already suffered interference from Inmarsat‘s
assignment of inadequate guard bands on other Inmarsat wideband carriers. Based on MSV‘s
initial observation of experimental BGAN signals, a guard band of at least 50 kHz is needed to
limit interference to MSV s narrowband carriers to the levels accepted under the Operators‘
Agreements developed pursuant to the Mexico City MOU. While MSV may discover during the
course of coordination or from operations pursuant to these STAs that a different guard band is
required to protect MSV, specification of a 50 kHz minimum guard band now in advance of
coordination will reduce the material risk of harmful interference to MSV‘s customers while still
enabling BGAN service. Moreover, because BGAN operations are permitted only on a strictly
unprotected basis, the Bureau should also clarify that the 50 MHz guard band must lie entirely
within Inmarsat‘s coordinated frequency assignments and may not lie within the frequencies
coordinated for MSV or MSV Canada.

         Conditions 6, 7, and 10. In Conditions 6, 7, and 10, the May 12"" decisions explain that
grant of the STA (i) is not based on a finding, and is without prejudice to any future
determination the Commission may make, that Inmarsat‘s L band operations are consistent with
operation on a non—interference basis, and (11) is without prejudice to disposition of the pending
applications for permanent authority to operate BGAN terminals. Consistent with these
conditions, the Bureau should also explain that it expects Inmarsat to diligently conclude
coordination of its Inmarsat 4F2 satellite with respect to the current and planned operations of


Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
May 26, 2006
Page 3

MSV and MSV Canada before it can make a definitive determination that operation of the
Inmarsat 4F2 satellite will not result in unacceptable interference and before it can grant the
pending applications for permanent authority.

         _Please contact the undersigned with any questions.

                                               Very truly yours,


                                                    [A 2x .,
                                                ennifer A. Manner


                                 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

         I, Sylvia A. Davis, a secretary with the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
LLP, hereby certify that on this 26th day of May 2006, I served a true copy of the foregoing by
first—class United States mail, postage prepaid, upon the following:
Roderick Porter®*                                 Gardner Foster*®
International Bureau                              International Bureau
Federal Communications Commission                 Federal Communications Commission
445 12"" Street, S.W.                             445 12" Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554                              Washington, DC 20554

James Ball*                                       Cassandra Thomas*
International Bureau                              International Bureau
Federal Communications Commission                 Federal Communications Commission
445 12Street, S.W.                                445 12" Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554                              Washington, DC 20554

Karl Kensinger*                                   Fern Jarmulnek*
International Bureau                              International Bureau
Federal Communications Commission                 Federal Communications Commission
445 12"" Street, S.W.                             445 12"" Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554                              Washington, DC 20554

Robert Nelson*                                    Howard Griboff*
International Bureau                              International Bureau
Federal Communications Commission                 Federal Communications Commission
445 12"" Street, S.W.                             445 12"" Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554                              Washington, DC 20554

Andrea Kelly*                                     Scott Kotler*®
International Bureau                              International Bureau
Federal Communications Commission                 Federal Communications Commission
445 12" Street, S.W.                              445 12" Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554                              Washington, DC 20554

Stephen Duall*                                    Alfred M. Mamlet
International Bureau                              Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Federal Communications Commission                 1330 Connecticut Avenue N.W.
445 12"" Street, S.W.                             Washington, D.C. 20036
Washington, DC 20554
                                                  Counsel for Stratos Communications, Inc.

Keith H. Fagan                                    Diane J. Cornell
Telenor Satellite, Inc.                           Vice President, Government Affairs
1101 Wootton Parkway                              Inmarsat, Inc.
10‘" Floor                                        1100 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1425
Rockville, MD 20852                               Arlington, VA 22209


John P. Janka                        Linda J. Cicco
Jeffrey A. Marks                     BT Americas Inc.
Latham & Watkins LLP                 11440 Commerce Park Drive
555 Eleventh Street, N.W.            Reston, VA 20191
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004

William K. Coulter                   Lawrence J. Movshin
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP   Stephen L. Goodman
1200 Nineteenth Street, NW.          Lee J. Rosen
Washington, DC 20036—2412            Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP
                                     2300 N St. NW, Suite 700
Counsel for FTMSC US, LLC            Washington, DC 20037

                                     Counsel for MVS USA, Inc.



                                      * t   [
                                        7
                                     ‘y ia A. Davis

*By hand delivery



Document Created: 2006-05-26 14:59:29
Document Modified: 2006-05-26 14:59:29

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