Satcom Operators Oppose NGSO Protections Sunset Idea

The FCC's proposal to sunset interference protections for non-geostationary orbit systems is getting pushback from numerous geostationary and NGSO satellite operators. A sunset would jeopardize service quality and continuity by changing the interference environment that is part of existing authorizations and contractual commitments, the satellite operators said in a docket 21-456 posting Tuesday. They said it also would incentivize coordination delays by systems approved in later processing rounds until the earlier-round system's priority expires, and reverse longstanding FCC policies that give an expectation of ongoing interference protection. Signing the filing were SES/O3b, Iridium, Globalstar, EchoStar/Hughes, Inmarsat, Telesat, Viasat and OneWeb. The sunsetting provision in the NGSO spectrum sharing NPRM adopted in December has been an area of contention (see 2203280029).