Federal Earth Stations Should Face Same Rules as Commercial, SIA Says

Any move to give co-primary regulatory status to federal government earth stations communicating with commercial satellites should make clear they're subject to the same procedural, coordination and technical rules as commercial licensees, the Satellite Industry Association said in a series of meetings with FCC eighth-floor staffers. In ex parte filings posted Tuesday in docket 13-115, SIA recapped meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and to Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Mignon Clyburn (see here, here and here) at which it said any action on NTIA's urging the FCC move on its 2013 space policy rulemaking (see 1610040019) needs to include language in the U.S. table of frequency allocations stating primary federal allocations for fixed satellite service is for earth stations only. SIA said the FCC should make clear it has exclusive regulatory jurisdiction over the co-primary allocations and that shared NTIA jurisdiction doesn't apply to processing of earth station applications. EchoStar also urged federal earth station operations be subject to the same requirements as commercial earth stations and that the FCC reject NTIA-proposed exemptions (see 1610140055). Representatives from SIA, SpaceX, O3b, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and EchoStar attended the meetings.