Attachment Response

Response

RESPONSE TO REPLY COMMENTS submitted by Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC

Response

2006-06-30

This document pretains to SES-STA-20060605-00922 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESSTA2006060500922_508377

                                             Before the
                                Federal Communications Commission
                                        Washington, D.C. 20554

In the matter of




                                                      Numer Nusr! Sm Nn Sune! Ns Swnt! Nunt! Sumt! SNud! Seua!
Deere & Company                                                                                                  File No. SES—STA—20060605—00922
Application for Special Temporary Authority to
Operate Receive—Only Mobile Earth Stations with
Inmarsat 3F4 at 142°W

Deere & Company                                                                                                  File No. 0437—EX—ST—2006
Application for Experimental Special Temporary
Authority to Operate Receive—Only Mobile Earth
Stations with Inmarsat 3F4 at 142°W


          RESPONSE OF MOBILE SATELLITE VENTURES SUBSIDIARY LLC

        Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC ("MSV") hereby files this Response to the

Reply of Deere & Company ("Deere") and Inmarsat Ventures Limited ("Inmarsat") submitted in

the above—referenced proceedings.‘ In these proceedings, Deere is seeking Special Temporary

Authority ("STA") from both the International Bureau ("Bureau") and the Office of Engineering

and Technology ("OET") to test receive—only mobile earth stations with the uncoordinated

Inmarsat 3F4 satellite which has recently been relocated to 142°W.*

        In its Comments on these applications, MSV did not oppose grant, provided the Bureau

and OET make clear that (1) grant should not be construed as a Commission endorsement of

Inmarsat‘s failure to coordinate the Inmarsat 3F4 satellite at its new location with other L band




‘ See Reply Comments of Deere & Company, File No. SES—STA—20060605—00922 (June 21, 2006)
("Deere Reply");, Reply of Inmarsat Ventures Limited, File No. SES—STA—20060605—00922 (June 21,
2006) ("Inmarsat Reply"); see also Letter from Deere & Company to Mr. James Burtle, FCC, File No.
0437—EX—ST—2006 (June 23, 2006); Letter from Inmarsat Ventures Ltd. to Mr. James Burtle, FCC, File
No. 0437—EX—ST—2006 (June 23, 2006).
* See Deere & Company, Application, File No. SES—STA—20060605—00922 (June 3, 2006) ("Deere
Application").


operators; and (ii) Inmarsat must coordinate the Inmarsat 3F4 satellite with other L band

operators before Deere can provide commercial service in the United States with this satellite."

        In their Replies, Deere and Inmarsat claim that it would be premature to address

commercial service using the Inmarsat 3F4 satellite. See Deere Reply at 3; Inmarsat Reply at 2

MSV is concerned, however, that any grant of authority to operate with the uncoordinated

Inmarsat 3F4 satellite, whether for testing purposes or otherwise, could prejudice the outcome of

future applications for authority to operate with this uncoordinated satellite.*

        Inmarsat argues that the proposed conditions are inappropriate because it claims that

completion of coordination is not a condition precedent to issuance of an authorization to provide

MSS. Inmarsat Reply at 2—3. In fact, the Bureau requires prior coordination unless there is a

reasonable basis to conclude that harmful interference will not occur in the absence of

international coordination. The Bureau will not authorize uncoordinated satellites or services

when there is evidence that harmful interference might occur, as in the case of Inmarsat 3F4 at

142°W.‘ Inmarsat also claims that the conditions are inconsistent with how the Bureau treated

MSV in granting it licenses for its next—generation satellites. Inmarsat Reply at 2—3. In those

cases, however, no entity claimed that the satellites would cause harmful interference. It was



* See Comments of Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC, File No. SES—STA—20060605—00922 (June
6, 2006) ("MSY Comments"); Letter from MSV to Mr. James Burtle, FCC, File No. 0437—EX—ST—2006
(June 16, 2006).
* In its Reply, Inmarsat incorporates by reference a recent pleading filed in another proceeding. Inmarsat
Reply at n.1. MSV hereby incorporates by reference its Reply to that pleading. See Reply of Mobile
Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC, File No. SES—MFS—20060118—00050 et al (March 28, 2006) (with
Reply of Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC, File No. SES—MFS—20051207—01709 (Call Sign
E030055), File No. SES—MFS—20051202—01665 (Call Sign E020074) (February 14, 2006) attached
thereto as Exhibit A).
5 See Letter from Thomas S. Tycz, FCC, to Joseph A. Godles, Counsel for PanAmSat, File No. SAT—
STA—19980902—00057 (September 15, 1998); Loral Orion Services, Inc., Order and Authorization, DA
99—2222, 14 FCC Red 17665, «[ 10 (October 18, 1999); BT North America Inc., Order, DA 00—162, 15
FCC Red 15602 (February 1, 2000).


thus entirely reasonable for the Bureau to license the satellites in advance of coordination.

Conversely, as MSV explained in its Comments, the Inmarsat 3F4 satellite is materially different

than the Inmarsat—2 satellite it is allegedly replacing, and is more likely both to cause interference

to and to suffer interference from other L band systems relative to the Inmarsat—2 satellite.© In

addition, unlike the Inmarsat 3F4 satellite, MSV‘s next—generation satellite is years away from

launch, making it reasonable for the Bureau to conclude that any interference issues will be

resolved through coordination prior to actual operation. Moreover, in granting MSV licenses for

its next—generation satellites, the Bureau specifically stated that an authorization for which

coordination has not been completed may be subject to additional terms and conditions as

required to effect coordination with other Administrations.‘

             Inmarsat also contends that the proposed conditions are unfair because it allegedly

provides MSV with "sole control" over whether Deere can provide services over the Inmarsat

3F4 satellite. Inmarsat Reply at 3. MSV, however, has been and continues to be ready and

willing to coordinate with Inmarsat. If the parties commit to making a good faith effort to

complete a comprehensive regional coordination agreement, MSVs view is that coordination

can be completed in a matter of a few months.




6 See MSV Comments at 4—5.

" See Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC, Order and Authorization, DA 05—1492 (May 23, 2005)
("MSY—1 Order‘), at [ 79;, Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC, Order and Authorization, DA 05—50
(January 10, 2005) ("MSFY—SA4 Order"), at 58. MSV has since surrendered its license for the MSV—SA
satellite.


                                          Conclusion

       In light of the foregoing, MSV urges the Bureau to act consistently with the views

expressed herein.

                                    Respectfully submitted,




P [f72
 Bruce D. Jacobs    _
                                                           6
                                                               2 /4Xm
                                                   ennifer A. Manner
 David S. Konczal                                 Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
 PILLSBURY WINTHROP                               MOBILE SATELLITE VENTURES
        SHAW PITTMAN LLP                                 SUBSIDIARY LLC
 2300 N Street, NW                                10802 Parkridge Boulevard
 Washington, DC 20037—1128                        Reston, Virginia 20191
 (202) 663—8000                                   (703) 390—2700

Dated: June 30, 2006


                               CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

        I, Sylvia A. Davis of the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, hereby
certify that on this 30th day of June 2006, I served a true copy of the foregoing 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

Richard Engelman*                                John Martin*
International Bureau                             Interriational 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 12"" Street, 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*                                   Andrea Kelly*
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*                                   Howard Griboff*
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

Scott Kotler*                                    Dr. Peter Williams
International Bureau                             Deere & Company
Federal Communications Commission                20780 Madrona Ave.
445 12"" Street, S.W.                            Torrance, CA 90503—3777
Washington, DC 20554


Eliot J. Greenwald            Diane J. Cornell
Bingham McCutchen LLP         Vice President, Government Affairs
3000 K Street, NW             Inmarsat, Inc.
Suite 300                     1100 Wilson Blyvd, Suite 1425
Washington, DC 20007—5116     Arlington, VA 22209

Counsel for Deere & Company

John P. Janka
Jeffrey A. Marks
Latham & Watkins LLP
555 Eleventh Street, N.W.
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004




                              Sylvia A. Davis
*By electronic mail



Document Created: 2006-06-30 16:38:27
Document Modified: 2006-06-30 16:38:27

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