Attachment Explanatory Stmt

This document pretains to SES-STA-20161223-00971 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESSTA2016122300971_1162636

                                                                                      Row 44, Inc.
                                                                                      STA Request
                                                                                    December 2016




                                EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

        Row 44, Inc., pursuant to Section 25.120(b) of the FCC’s Rules, hereby seeks Special
Temporary Authority (“STA”) for an additional thirty (30) days to operate its licensed Ku-band
network of Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft (“ESAA”) (Call Sign E080100) using space segment
capacity on the SES, S.A. (“SES”) AMC-6 satellite (“AMC-6”) at 67 W.L. The capacity on
AMC-6 is already being used pursuant to STA (see FCC File No. SES-STA-20161207-00932) as
interim replacement capacity for AMC-3, which is currently included in the Row 44 license.
AMC-3 is being relocated from 67 W.L. to 72 W.L. Row 44 expects to transition capacity
back to AMC-3 at its new location in early 2017, and will soon submit a modification application
that includes a request for long-term authorization to use AMC-3 at 72 W.L.

        Row 44’s operations on AMC-6 at 67 W.L. are subject to the existing coordination
certification letter from SES with respect to AMC-3 under Section 25.227(b)(2) of the
Commission’s Rules and to all other conditions of its existing license. In providing its fleet
management notification under Section 25.118(e) of the Commission’s Rules, SES expressly
stated that “it will operate within the technical parameters currently licensed and coordinated for
AMC-3 … at that location.” FCC Public Notice, “Policy Branch Information: Satellite Space
Station Applications Accepted for Filing,” Report No. SAT-01194 (released October 21, 2016).
Accordingly, there has been no change in Row 44’s operations at this orbital location and the
coordination certification provided for this slot remains valid.

        Under Section 25.120(b)(1) of the FCC’s Rules, the International Bureau may grant an
STA when the public interest supports the relief requested, and/or delay in the institution of
temporary operations would be contrary to the public interest. See 47 C.F.R. § 25.120(b)(1).
Such authority may be granted for a period not to exceed 30 days “if the STA request has not
been placed on public notice, and an application for regular authority is not contemplated.” See
47 C.F.R. § 25.120(b)(4). Because Row 44 will not be filing an application for permanent access
to AMC-6 at 67 W.L., its request is limited to thirty (30) days duration. Row 44 currently
anticipates that operations using AMC-6 will continue only until mid-January, such that
additional extensions of the requested STA may not be required beyond the authority requested
here.

         Grant of the additional authority requested here will promote the public interest by
permitting Row 44 to continue providing service to its customers using capacity on the AMC-6
satellite temporarily in lieu of capacity on AMC-3. Use of AMC-6 will help maintain effective
coverage of all U.S. domestic routes currently served by Row 44. Grant of the requested STA is
consistent with Commission policy and will not adversely affect other authorized operations.
Row 44 acknowledges that any action taken pursuant to a grant of the requested STA will be at
its own risk, and respectfully requests that the FCC grant it authority not later than January 8,
2017, the expiration date of its current STA, for an additional period of thirty (30) days to use the
AMC-6 satellite as a point of communication in the conventional Ku-band in the United States
using TECOM antennas now operating under its FCC ESAA network license.



Document Created: 2016-12-23 14:26:02
Document Modified: 2016-12-23 14:26:02

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