Attachment Narrative

This document pretains to SES-STA-20120523-00466 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESSTA2012052300466_952861

Before the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20554 ) File No. SES-STA-20120424-00390 ) File No. SES-STA-2012____-_____ In the Matter of ) Call Sign E050017 ) ECHOSTAR BROADCASTING CORPORATION ) File No. SES-STA-20120424-00391 ) File No. SES-STA-2012____-_____ Application for Renewal of Special ) Call Sign E070273 Temporary Authority to Operate Three ) Transmit/Receive Earth Stations with ) File No. SES-STA-20120424-00392 EchoStar 6 at 76.95º W.L. ) File No. SES-STA-2012____-_____ ) Call Sign E980081 ) APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL OF SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY By this Application, and pursuant to Section 25.120(b)(4) of the Commission’s rules,1 EchoStar Broadcasting Corporation (“EBC” and collectively with its affiliates, “EchoStar”) requests renewal of its special temporary authority (“STA”) to operate three earth stations with the EchoStar 6 satellite at 76.95° W.L. for 30 days 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 E050017) to provide both TT&C and feeder link communications. The current STAs for each of the earth stations expire on May 28, 2012.2 1 See 47 C.F.R. § 25.120(b)(4). 2 See Stamp Grant, File Nos. SES-STA-20120424-00390, Call Sign E050017 (granted Apr. 27, 2012); SES-STA-20120424-00391, Call Sign E070273 (granted Apr. 27, 2012); SES- STA-20120424-00392, Call Sign E980081 (granted Apr. 27, 2012).

EchoStar 6 arrived at the 76.95° W.L. orbital location on February 13, 2011, and began providing service on February 14, 2011.3 The relocation was prompted by a single event upset (“SEU”) that temporarily affected the EchoStar 8 satellite.4 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.5 EchoStar also filed an application (“Blanket Earth Station Application”) to modify its blanket earth station authorization to receive service from the Mexican-licensed EchoStar 6 satellite.6 This renewal STA request is necessary to allow the continued operation of these earth stations with EchoStar 6 while these applications remain pending.7 3 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). 4 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). 5 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 File No. SAT-ASG-20110224-00033 (granted Apr. 21, 2011). 6 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 (filed Mar. 14, 2011) (requesting modifications to the referenced earth station licenses). These applications were filed subject to the proposed pro forma assignment of the earth station licenses to EBC. These pro forma assignments were consummated on May 26, 2011. See Letter from Pantelis Michalopoulos, Counsel for EchoStar Corporation and EchoStar Broadcasting Corporation, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, File Nos. SES-ASG- 20110228-00561, SES-ASG-20110228-00562, SES-ASG-20110228-00554 (June 3, 2011). 7 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 Services LLC (Feb. 4, 2011), File No. SAT- STA-20110207-00026, Attachment 2. -2-

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, two other EchoStar Direct Broadcast Satellites (“DBS”) currently operate at the nominal 77° W.L. orbital location under Mexican authority issued to EBC’s partner, QuetzSat: EchoStar 1 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). 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 Application8 and the Blanket Earth Station Application, which are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, grant of this application will ensure the continued safe operation of 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 8 See Stamp Grant, File No. SAT-STA-20110525-00098 (granted May 27, 2011) (granting EBC’s sister company, EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation, STA to operate the EchoStar 6 satellite at 76.95º W.L.) (“Satellite STA Application”). -3-

link communications while EchoStar 6 is operating at 76.95° W.L. in accordance with the conditions imposed on the original STA grant.9 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. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Pantelis Michalopoulos Alison Minea Stephanie A. Roy 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 May 23, 2012 9 See Stamp Grant, File Nos. SES-STA-20110207-00120; SES-STA-20110207-00121; SES-STA-20110207-00122 (granted Feb. 10, 2011). -4-


Document Created: 2012-05-23 13:57:08
Document Modified: 2012-05-23 13:57:08
© 2024 FCC.report
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FCC