AST Counters Challenges to Broadband Constellation Petition

Challenges to AST's pending U.S. market access petition for its SpaceMobile broadband constellation (see 2011040003) ignore that it won't operate on exclusively terrestrial frequencies but will provide service through lease agreements with terrestrial licensees on their authorized frequencies, the company said in an FCC International Bureau filing Thursday. It said its V-band waiver is only to allow it to use the band for gateway services and transmit to only two U.S. earth station locations.