Intelsat Talks Sunsetting Protections With FCC

Sunsetting non-geostationary orbit satellite protections by condensing processing rounds over time without the loss of interference protection rights for earlier rounds could encourage NGSO innovation and competition, Intelsat representatives told FCC International Bureau staffers per a docket 21-456 filing Friday. Intelsat said sunsetting shouldn't mean later-round licensees can interfere with earlier-round ones or that it puts earlier- and later-round systems on equal footing for coordination. It said it doesn't support sunsetting licenses or interference protections. The sunsetting provision in the NGSO spectrum sharing NPRM adopted in December has been an area of contention (see 2203280029).