SES Seeks Approval to Use Gibraltar-Licensed Satellite in U.S. Market

SES Gibraltar is asking for authorization to use its to-be-launched SES-15 in the U.S. market. The Gibraltar-licensed satellite will be at 129.15 degrees west and will replace the Ku-band capacity currently provided by its U.S.-licensed AMC-1, SES said in an FCC International Bureau filing Tuesday. SES said it wants to use SES-15's Ku-band capacity for direct-to-home service in the U.S. It also said it wants to add the satellite to the permitted list for services in the conventional Ku-band, and to the Ka-band permitted list for services in the 18.3-18.8 GHz, 19.7-20.2 GHz, 28.35-28.6 GHz and 29.25-30 GHz bands. And SES said it wanted authorization for the satellite to offer fixed satellite service capacity in the U.S. in the extended Ku-band, the appendix 30B bands and the 27.5-28.35 GHz bands. SES-15 is expected to launch in 2017, SES said, saying the satellite will carry a Wide Area Augmentation System payload for use with the U.S. Global Positioning System, but it will ask for market access in a separate petition.