Attachment Narrative

This document pretains to SES-STA-20110630-00781 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESSTA2011063000781_901465

                                     Before the
                       FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                Washington, D.C. 20554


                                                 )   File No. SES-STA-20110525-00622
                                                 )   File No. SES-STA-20110601-00650
                                                 )   File No. SES-STA-________-_____
In the Matter of                                 )   Call Sign E050017
                                                 )
ECHOSTAR BROADCASTING CORPORATION                )   File No. SES-STA-20110525-00623
                                                 )   File No. SES-STA-20110601-00648
Application for Renewal of Special               )   File No. SES-STA-________-_____
Temporary Authority to Operate Three             )   Call Sign E070273
Transmit/Receive Earth Stations with             )
EchoStar 6 at 76.95º W.L.                        )   File No. SES-STA-20110525-00624
                                                 )   File No. SES-STA-20110601-00649
                                                 )   File No. SES-STA-________-_____
                                                 )   Call Sign E980081


      APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL OF SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

       By this Application,1 and pursuant to Section 25.120(a)(3),2 EchoStar Broadcasting

Corporation (“EBC”) requests renewal of its special temporary authority (“STA”) to operate

three earth stations with the EchoStar 6 satellite at 76.95 W.L. as follows: (1) to operate two

transmit/receive earth stations (Call Signs E070273 and E980081) to provide only telemetry,

tracking, and control (“TT&C”); and (2) to operate one transmit/receive earth station (Call Sign




       1
          On May 26, 2011, the Commission granted EBC’s parent company, EchoStar
Corporation (“EchoStar”), consent to assign the earth stations that are the subject of this request
and all associated authorizations to EBC on a pro forma basis. See Stamp Grant, File No. SES-
ASG-20110228-00554 (granted May 26, 2011). On May 27, 2011, the Commission granted
EBC’s sister company, EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation, STA to operate EchoStar 6 at
76.95º W.L. for the remainder of the STA granted to EchoStar (“Satellite STA Application”).
See Stamp Grant, File No. SAT-STA-20110525-00098 (granted May 27, 2011).
       2
           47 C.F.R. § 25.120(b)(3).


E050017) to provide both TT&C and feeder link communications. The current STAs for each of

the earth stations expire on July 7, 2011,3 July 11, 2011,4 and July 11, 2011,5 respectively.

       EchoStar 6 arrived at the 76.95 W.L. orbital location on February 13, 2011, and began

providing service on February 14, 2011.6 The relocation was prompted by a single event upset

(“SEU”) that temporarily affected the EchoStar 8 satellite.7 On March 14, 2011, EchoStar filed

an application to transfer EchoStar 6 to QuetzSat, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“QuetzSat”), which will

operate the satellite under Mexican authority from the 76.95 W.L. orbital location.8 EchoStar

also filed an application (“Blanket Earth Station Application”) to modify its blanket earth station

authorization to provide service from the Mexican-licensed EchoStar 6 satellite.9 This renewal




       3
         See Stamp Grant, File No. SES-STA-20110601-00648, Call Sign E070273 (granted
June 7, 2011).
       4
         See Stamp Grant, File No. SES-STA-20110601-00649, Call Sign E980081 (granted
June 7, 2011).
       5
         See Stamp Grant, File No. SES-STA-20110601-00650, Call Sign E050017 (granted
June 7, 2011).
       6
        See Stamp Grant, File Nos. SAT-STA-20110207-00026 (granted Feb. 11, 2011); SAT-
STA-20110225-00036 (granted Mar. 1, 2011); SAT-STA-20110401-00067 (granted Apr. 7,
2011); SAT-STA-20110608-00104 (granted June 14, 2011).
       7
         See Letter from Petra A. Vorwig, Counsel for EchoStar Corporation, to Marlene H.
Dortch, Secretary, FCC, filed in File No. SAT-T/C-20090217-00026 (Feb. 1, 2011).
       8
         See File No. SAT-T/C-20110314-00054 (filed Mar. 14, 2011). That application was
filed subject to the then-pending pro forma assignment of the satellite to EchoStar Satellite
Operating Corporation. See Radio Station Authorization, File No. SAT-ASG-20110224-00033
(granted Apr. 21, 2011).
       9
         See File No. SES-MFS-20110314-00288 (filed Mar. 14, 2011) (“Blanket Earth Station
Application”). See also File Nos. SES-MFS-20110314-00291, SES-MFS-20110314-00290,
SES-MFS-20110314-00289 (modifying the above referenced earth station licenses). These
applications were filed subject to the proposed pro forma assignment.



                                                -2-


STA request is necessary to allow the continued operation of EchoStar 6 while these applications

remain pending.10

I.     BACKGROUND

       The nominal 77º W.L. orbital location is allotted to Mexico under the Region 2

Broadcasting-Satellite Service plan set forth in Appendices 30 and 30A to the International

Radio Regulations. In addition to the EchoStar 6 satellite, EchoStar currently operates three

Direct Broadcast Satellites (“DBS”) at the nominal 77° W.L. orbital location under Mexican

authority issued to its partner, QuetzSat: EchoStar 1, EchoStar 4, and EchoStar 8. The satellites

are used by EchoStar’s customers, DISH Network L.L.C. (“DISH”) and DISH Mexico, to

provide DBS service in the United States and Mexico, respectively. The U.S. service includes

local-into-local programming in a number of markets in the southern United States.

       EchoStar 6, operating with EchoStar 1 and EchoStar 8 at 77 W.L., provides sufficient

capacity to avoid service disruptions from that slot in the event any of the satellites experience a

problem. EchoStar 1, a satellite launched in December 1995, has limited capability (only up to

16 transponders), and EchoStar 4, having reached the end of its design life, has been retired from

commercial service.

II.    GRANT OF THIS APPLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

       This STA request is in the public interest for the reasons set forth in the Satellite STA

Application and the Blanket Earth Station Application, which are incorporated herein by

reference. Furthermore, grant of this application will ensure the continued safe operation of


       10
            The Mexican concessionaire for the 77 W.L. orbital location informed COFETEL of
EchoStar 6’s relocation, and COFETEL “expressed no objection to placement of the Echo 6
satellite in the 77 W cluster.” See Letter from Ricardo Ríos Ferrer, Legal Representative,
QuetzSat, S. de R.L. de C.V., to EchoStar Satellite Service LLC (Feb. 4, 2011), filed in File No.
SAT-STA-20110207-00026, Attachment 2.



                                                -3-


EchoStar 6 at the 76.95 W.L. orbital location. Grant of this application will not cause harmful

interference because EBC will operate the earth stations to conduct TT&C operations and feeder

link communications while EchoStar 6 is operating at 76.95 W.L. in accordance with the

conditions imposed on the original grant held by EchoStar.11

III.   WAIVER PURSUANT TO SECTION 304 OF THE ACT

       In accordance with Section 304 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,

47 U.S.C. § 304, EBC hereby waives any claim to the use of any particular frequency or of the

electromagnetic spectrum as against the regulatory power of the United States because of the

previous use of the same, whether by license or otherwise.

IV.    CONCLUSION

       For the foregoing reasons, EBC respectfully requests the grant of its application for

renewal of its special temporary authority to operate two transmit/receive earth stations (Call

Signs E070273 and E980081) to provide TT&C service, and to operate one transmit/receive

earth station (Call Sign E050017) to provide both TT&C service and feeder link

communications, for EchoStar 6 at 76.95° W.L.




       11
       See Stamp Grant, File Nos. SES-STA-20110207-00120; SES-STA-20110207-00121;
SES-STA-20110207-00122 (granted Feb. 10, 2011).



                                               -4-


                                    Respectfully submitted,



                                             /s/
Pantelis Michalopoulos               Alison Minea
L. Lisa Sandoval                     Corporate Counsel
Steptoe & Johnson LLP                EchoStar Broadcasting Corporation
1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW          1110 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 750
Washington, D.C. 20036               Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 429-3000                       (202) 293-0981
Counsel for EchoStar Broadcasting
Corporation


June 30, 2011




                                     -5-



Document Created: 2011-06-30 16:17:11
Document Modified: 2011-06-30 16:17:11

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