Harris CapRock Seeks Special Temporary Authority for new ESV

Harris CapRock Communications is seeking special temporary authority (STA) to operate its new earth station onboard vessel terminals with O3b's fixed satellite service while it readies a license modification application that would give it long-term operating authority. In a pair of FCC International Bureau filings Wednesday (see here and here), Harris CapRock said its 2.4-meter multiband Space Track maritime earth station is designed to operate in the C-, Ka- and Ku- bands and it's filed a commercial modification application for C- and Ku-band operations. The pendency of that application precludes filing a modification application to add Ka-band operation authority, thus necessitating the STA request to let it communicate with O3b's Ka-band fixed satellite service system, Harris CapRock said. The STA requests would allow the Space Track earth stations to operate in the 27.6-28.4 MHz and 28.6-29.1 MHz uplink bands and 17.8-18.6 MHz and 18.8-19.3 MHz downlink bands, the company said.