FCC Grants Earth Satellite Waivers for Inmarsat, O3b

The FCC approved a waiver for the U.S. table of frequency allocations and the commission's Ka-band plan in connection with O3b's plan to do tests and demonstrations and provide commercial service using earth stations on six non-U.S. registered maritime vessels, said a letter to the company from the International Bureau in docket 15-601. The service will involve up to three 2.2-meter antennas per maritime vessel that will use the 27.6-28.35 GHz and 17.8-18.3 GHz bands to communicate with its non-geostationary orbit fixed-satellite service system licensed by the U.K., the letter said. The FCC doesn't license transmissions on non-U.S. registered maritime vessels, but Ob3 must still comply with the commission's regulations to the extent its signals are transmitted within the U.S. The FCC also granted and denied parts of Inmarsat's petition to clarify or reconsider the conditions imposed on its earth station modification applications, said an order from the Satellite Division in docket 15-602. The order granted a waiver subject to conditions, including that Inmarsat coordinate its use of the conventional C-band telemetry, tracking and control frequencies with adjacent satellite operators and that the company's use of those frequencies be on a non-interference basis. The order declined to delete the requirement that Inmarsat accommodate future space station and earth station networks that are compliant with Section 25.202.