SES estimates 30 U.S. pay-TV operators with a combined audience of more than 10 million subscribers are testing its 4K content delivery platform, it announced Monday. Three “initiated commercial linear Ultra HD services in subscriber homes” -- Marquette-Adams Communications in Wisconsin, Highlands Cable Group in North Carolina and EPB Fiber Optics in Tennessee.

Hughes wants FCC International Bureau OK to operate up to 100,000 Skyware Global remote earth terminals in the fixed satellite service. An application Friday for special temporary authority said it held a Ka-band blanket license to operate numerous FSS earth terminals for use in providing broadband, with the satellites communicating with five separate ones, and it wants a 60-day STA to operate Skyware Global earth terminals alongside the others authorized under the license. It said the terminals will operate in the 28.35-28.6 GHz and 29.25-30 GHz bands for uplinks and the 18.3-19.3 GHz and 19.7-20.2 GHz bands for downlinks.

When implementing its spectrum frontiers rule about fixed satellite service earth station siting in the 28 GHz band, the FCC should give earth station applicants flexibility and use propagation models that minimize the effect on upper microwave flexible use service (UMFUS) licensees, AT&T said in a docket 17-172 filing Friday. That was the deadline for comments on implementing earth station siting methodologies in the band. AT&T also said earth station applications should be made public so other potential applicants have information that would be useful in complying with numeric and population limits and let UMFUS licensees plan their deployments. It said the agency should determine population at the census block level for both the 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands. EchoStar, the only other submitter, laid out suggestions for rules governing the power flux density contour. EchoStar also said the FCC should use census block data for determine the effect of a 28 GHz earth station on a population in a county.

Orbital ATK, having accessed Space Systems Loral trade secrets via a NASA server, is trying to inject new assertions through its motion to dismiss SSL's Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Defend Trade Secrets Act complaints, SSL said in opposition (in Pacer) to Orbital's motion to dismiss. Friday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, SSL said Orbital's motion to dismiss makes assertions -- such as that an Orbital employee properly had access to the NASA server -- that can't be tested for veracity and should be disregarded. Orbital, in its motion (in Pacer) to dismiss filed in June, said the employee in question was fired, that it was cooperating fully with NASA, and that SSL hadn't alleged or inferred the information was used or referred to in any way since the November breach. SSL's complaint, lodged in March, came a month after Orbital sued the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency over a contract awarded SSL for satellite servicing technology development (see 1702090045). A U.S. District Court judge in Alexandria, Virginia, earlier this month dismissed (in Pacer) that lawsuit, saying the court didn't have subject matter jurisdiction.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich of Tampa threw out three counterclaims brought by UlaiTV and PlanetiTV against Dish Network, which is suing them for copyright infringement. In an order (in Pacer) Friday, the court said defendants Tele-Center and Planet Telecom -- allegedly behind the UlaiTV set-tops and accompanying UlaiTV and AlhaiTV streaming services -- failed to prove counterclaims of conversion, trespass and breach of contract by Dish, granting them 14 days to re-plead. Dish's 2016 complaint said defendants, via UlaiTV and AlhaiTV, retransmitted channels to which Dish had exclusive license. Francis Lakel, counsel for the defendants, emailed Monday they would resubmit at least the breach of contract and conversion counterclaims, and said he's researching the argument given for denying the trespass counterclaim.

Hytera Communications completed the $67 million takeover of Norsat, the acquiree said in a news release Thursday. Norsat was subject of a bidding war between Hytera and Privet Fund Management (see 1706140008). Hytera in a statement said that Norsat's antenna and filter products complement its business.

Intelsat 37e could launch as soon as Aug. 31, and Intelsat in an FCC International Bureau filing Tuesday asked for a 90-day special temporary authority for in-orbit testing at 17.5 degrees west, followed by a drift to its permanent location at 18 degrees west. Intelsat said the testing should last about 35 days, with the drift to take five days. Intelsat 37e will operate in the C-, Ka- and Ku-bands, the company said.

No non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system should have to shoulder the whole burden in coordinating spectrum sharing arrangements, and the FCC should push for equitable sharing expectations, SpaceX said in International Bureau comments filed Friday. That was the deadline for replies to oppositions to the slew of NGSO license applications and U.S. market access petitions filed in November (see 1705300042). SpaceX said NGSO operators should share data about the steering angles of each beam within a footprint, which would let operators identify which apparent in-line events are false. ViaSat said any NGSO application's approval should be conditioned on the outcome of the pending Part 2 and Part 25 rules update and on protecting geostationary orbit systems from harmful interference; Telesat Canada also backed conditions tied to Part 2 and Part 25 updates outcomes. OneWeb said any ViaSat approval should be conditioned on it only transmitting between medium earth orbit satellites and geostationary orbit (GSO) when the MEO is in the cone of coverage projected from that GSO satellite with respect to the earth. OneWeb also said the FCC should condition ViaSat's use of Ka-band for satellite-to-satellite links on ViaSat not interfering with or claiming protection from other NGSO fixed satellite service systems operating in the stated transmission direction. And Inmarsat said any use of the Ka-band for NGSO-to-GSO links needs study and rulemaking before the FCC approves ViaSat's application. Colorado-based Elefante Group, which is developing a stratospheric-based communications and IoT-enabling system, said Audacy must provide more information for better evaluating its compatibility with other services in the 22.55-23.55 GHz and 24.45-24.75 GHz bands. SES and O3b said the FCC should defer processing any Ku- or Ka-band NGSO applications lacking data needed to verify their equivalent power flux density (EPFD) compliance claims, with those including Telesat, Audacy, Boeing and SpaceX. It additionally said ViaSat's proposal is also lacking sufficient data needed for proper evaluation. OneWeb also said Boeing hadn't submitted sufficient EPFD data and its proposed phased milestone schedule would let the company keep its authorization indefinitely and prevent use of the underlying spectrum and orbital resources by others ready to launch. Iridium said that while Boeing acknowledges the need to coordinate with Iridium in the 19.3-19.7 GHz and 29.1-29.5 GHz bands, Boeing may underestimate the ground infrastructure the Iridium system might need and overestimates the effectiveness of some sharing strategies. The GPS Innovation Alliance said Theia's opposition to its petition to deny doesn't contain any meaningful technical analysis to address GPSIA's core assertion -- that Theia's earth exploration satellite service in the 1215-1300 MHz band would interfere with radionavigation satellite service operations.

Planet Labs wants to add S-band uplinks and modify the X-band downlinks to its Flock constellation. In an FCC International Bureau license modification submitted Thursday, it also asked for a higher orbit apogee altitude limit from 500 kilometers to 550 kilometers, which would give it more flexibility for its satellites, which are launched as secondary payloads. It said that alongside its authorized use of 2056 MHz for uploads, it also wanted authorization for use of 2054.69 MHz and 2057.31 MHz. The company said it's currently authorized for 8133 and 8200 MHz downlinks, but it wants that changed to one wider bandwidth frequency at 8150 MHz.

More than 6,200 small satellites are expected to be launched over the next 10 years, with market value potentially reaching $30.1 billion, Euroconsult said in a news release Thursday. It predicted big growth in the earth observation market, with more than 1,100 satellites anticipated to be launched through 2026. It said broadband satcom also will drive heavy smallsat growth, with close to 3,100 satellites expected to be launched through 2026, OneWeb and SpaceX accounting for the bulk. It said of the $16.5 billion in smallsat manufacturing to be done 2017-26, an estimated $3.7 billion will be done in house. The researcher said smallsat launch services are expected to generate $14.5 billion revenue through 2026.