C-Band Earth Station Visits, Reallocations Could Take Through Summer 2023, FCC Told

SES and Intelsat will wrap up all visits to Phase 1 incumbent C-band earth stations by summer's end, and they and other electing eligible satellite operators should be able to certify the completion of the Phase 1 identification and allocation of all associated antennas and feeds this year, SES and Intelsat representatives told staff from the FCC Wireless and International bureaus and Office of General Counsel, per a docket 18-122 ex parte post Monday. They said they started the Phase 2 transition but haven't had the chance to do all the Phase 2 on-site visits to incumbent earth stations. Feeds of those earth stations undoubtedly will need identification and reallocation, meaning "there is simply no way to know the universe of claimed/unclaimed antennas and feeds and the proper allocation of responsibility for all of those antennas and feeds" until summer 2023, they said. They both also backed Verizon's call that the C-band clearinghouse fund claimants prospectively (see 2107120027) because it could expedite the process of providing lump sum electees with money needed to complete the band clearing.