Smaller players and new entrants in the commercial space sector need to be aware of cybersecurity threats and make cybersecurity a focus when designing their systems, panelists said Friday at an FCBA cybersecurity committee webinar. Space cybersecurity needs to be holistic, looking at systems from ground stations and antennas to spectrum and software, not just the satellites themselves, said Jaisha Wray, an NTIA associate administrator who until last year was National Security Council Cybersecurity Directorate international cyber policy director. Wray said standard cybersecurity practices can secure space systems, but an added complication is that space systems are physically difficult to access once deployed and cybersecurity activities must be done remotely. That's a big reason cybersecurity must be integrated into system design, she said. Panelists were bearish on cybersecurity regulation. "The second you write a prescriptive regulation ... it's already too late," with hackers and malware ready to circumvent rules, said Inmarsat Senior Vice President-Global Regulatory Donna Bethea-Murphy. She said many operators design systems to be encrypted and secure and comply with such standards. Wray said development of the White House's 2020 cybersecurity space policy (see 2009040042) focused on trying to ensure following voluntary principles. The U.S. can "take it on the road," talk to international partners, make suggestions to other governments and collaborate. Wray said the State Department has been carrying this forward. She said international companies joining the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center is a hopeful sign.

Nov. 1 is the deadline for challenges to Telesat's Oct. 18 amendment to its C-band Phase I certification of accelerated relocation, with replies due Nov. 8, the FCC Wireless Bureau said in a docket 18-122 public notice Thursday.

Intelsat provided responses to initial questions posed by the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecom Services Sector, and the committee now is doing its initial review of any national security risk involving Intelsat's planned Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring, DOJ told the FCC International Bureau Wednesday. It said that initial review will be done within 120 days, barring an extension. When the company exits bankruptcy, its CEO will leave (see personals section of this issue).

U.S. airlines will likely start offering free in-flight connectivity in the next three to five years, which will help drive the satellite aeronautical connectivity market, said SES CEO Steve Collar Wednesday in a company webinar. Data capacity on SES-17, to launch at week's end, is aimed especially at the North American aviation market, he said. He said SES-17 and O3b's forthcoming mPower low earth orbit constellation will be connected, with customers moving from one to the other seamlessly, and that hybridization is SES' first step toward a global interoperable network. Northern Sky Research analyst Brad Grady said 50% of global satellite data capacity demand will likely be from the Americas by 2030, with demand for mobility capacity expected to grow 17-fold, government capacity demand growing 19-fold, and enterprise capacity demand growing 12-fold. Grady said there were 3 Tbps of geostationary satellite capacity and 0.3 Tbps of non-geotatioanry capacity available worldwide in 2020, and that should grow to 32 Tbps of GEO capacity and 140 Tbps of NGSO capacity by 2030.

To effectively enforce ITU equivalent power flux density limits on non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite constellations that have multiple ITU filings, the FCC should require operators to make available to requesting parties the data used as input to the ITU-approved validation software, SES/O3b told the International Bureau Monday. It said those operators also should have to divulge the EPFD results that came from running the ITU software. Thus, the FCC wouldn't have to do a duplicative EPFD analysis or put big new burdens on NGSO applicants, SES/O3b said. It said, contrary to criticism of its suggestion (see 2110010011), it's only trying to prevent NGSO operators with multiple ITU filings from circumventing international EPFD limits.

Iridium expects to end 2021 with its service -- its largest revenue stream -- up 5%-6%, it said Tuesday, announcing Q3 results. It previously forecast 4%-5%. Revenue for the quarter was $162.2 million, $10.7 million higher year over year. Service revenue was $127.8 million, a $10.8 million rise.

If the FCC allows expanded federal use of nonfederal bands, federal users should be subject to the same technical, operational and procedural requirements as nonfederal users, the Satellite Industry Association said in docket 13-115 Monday. It cautioned that letting federal users into frequency bands shared among satellite services and upper microwave flexible use service could disrupt nonfederal operators. The commission adopted a Further NPRM in April asking about expanding federal use of some nonfederal fixed satellite and mobile satellite service bands (see 2104220036).

Amazon is "at it again, [trying] to bury the Commission in paperwork" and slow down SpaceX competition rather than work on the technical and policy hurdles its own proposed satellite constellation faces, SpaceX told the FCC International Bureau last week. It urged the agency to put its requested amendment to the pending application of its second-generation broadband constellation out for public comment. Amazon, which has challenged the amendment (for example, see 2109080056), didn't comment Monday.

Satellite operators involved in the C-band clearing haven't reported delays to the relocation coordinator to indicate they're not meeting the Phase I milestone to clear 120 MHz of the band by Dec. 5, the RC said Monday in its latest quarterly status report in docket 18-122. All C-band satellite operators have filed certifications for Phase I completion, it said, noting no major delays to the Phase II clearing schedule have been identified in the satellite operator transition plans.

Intelsat and Spectrum Five clashed over a request for extra time to comment on Intelsat's planned emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Washington Analysis' Tom Seitz said in a note Friday the FCC is likely to grant Intelsat the license transfers needed as part of its reorganization, but Spectrum Five raised issues that could be troublesome for Intelsat before the ITU. Spectrum Five's motion for a 30-day extension is an attempt at delaying the bankruptcy exit via "specious claims" from a different petition, Intelsat said in docket 21-375. It said the testing Spectrum Five claims it wants could have been done before the deadline. Spectrum Five said Intelsat's Intelsat 30 and 31 satellites operate at 95 degrees west at higher power flux density levels than the ITU permits, and the extension would allow time for further testing to see if the companies' stations can coexist at that orbital slot. Spectrum Five has a pending FCC petition to revoke the satellites' licenses (see 2012010057).