C-Band Claims Processing Moving Too Slowly, SES Says

The C-band clearing claims processing process remains problematically slow, SES officials told the FCC per a docket 18-122 ex parte post Wednesday. It said it was reimbursed for some of its submitted relocation costs, but it also is incurring financing charges from pending claims. SES told agency representatives it hopes the Relocation Payment Clearinghouse (RPC) will "improve its claims processing timeline in the near term." The FCC didn't comment. SES said its SES-20 and SES-21 C-band replacement satellites should launch in September, and SES-18 and SES-19 should be available for launch in November at the earliest. Noting AT&T's petition for reconsideration of the RPC procedures, SES said the agency should keep its current 20-day period for parties to object to RPC reimbursement decisions. "The current 20-day objection rule is clear, equitable, and advances the Commission’s goal of achieving an expeditious transition of the 3.7 GHz band," SES said. It urged the agency to make clear the burden of proof in a multiparty dispute should be on each party trying to challenge the RPC invoice. AT&T's recon petition said FCC rules don't mandate 20-day objection windows for notices of objection and such a deadline made via the public notice laying out the RPC dispute procedures isn't enough of an opportunity to comment on its merits. AT&T said the agency should clarify the 20-day period doesn't start until an objecting party knows or should know the basis for its objection. It said the burden of proof in a multi-party challenge should be with the party claiming reimbursement.