Intelsat and Gilat Satellite Networks are jointly rolling out a solar-powered package for expanding 3G coverage in remote areas where terrestrial services aren't feasible. They said in a news release Thursday the Mobile Reach Solar 3G is aimed at mobile network operators and incorporates services from Intelsat's EpicNG high-throughput satellite network with Gilat's very small aperture terminal system for small-cell and cellular backhaul. They said it will provide 3G service over a 2.5 kilometer radius.

Private equity firm Finance Technology Leverage (FTL) and Space Systems Loral are partnering to create Space Infrastructure Services (SIS), an on-orbit satellite servicing company, SSL said in a news release Wednesday. It said SIS would be majority owned by FTL, with SSL having a minority stake. SSL also will design and build the satellite servicing vehicle under a $228 million SIS contract, it said. SES signed up to be SIS' first commercial customer for satellite refueling services, it said. SSL's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract to develop in-orbit satellite servicing technology was challenged in court by Orbital ATK, which also has a satellite servicing commercial operation (see 1702090045).

Allocating spectrum for commercial space launches would streamline commercial launch licensing, which is needed as the pace of such launches and the number of new launch companies grow, SpaceX Vice President-Satellite Government Affairs Patricia Cooper told Commissioner Mike O'Rielly and International Bureau Chief Tom Sullivan at the Kennedy Space Center. The meeting was recapped in an ex parte filing in docket 13-115 posted Tuesday. SpaceX said it also discussed its applications for operating a non-geostationary orbit constellation in the Ku-, Ka- and V-bands and said the agency can "lead global thought on how best to develop fair and modern rules for NGSO systems" through its pending Part 2 and Part 25 rules NPRM and its ongoing NGSO processing round. The FCC Monday received comments and petitions to deny in the processing round (see 1706270014).

OneWeb Satellites -- a joint OneWeb/Airbus venture -- cut the ribbon on its satellite assembly line in Toulouse, France, it said in a news release Tuesday. OneWeb Satellites said its pipeline of work includes 900 satellites for OneWeb's planned low earth orbit constellation, and the Toulouse facility will be used to validate the production methods for the larger OneWeb Satellites high-volume production facility in Florida (see 1612190060). It said the initial 10 Toulouse-built satellites will be the start of OneWeb's constellation, with the first launches to take place in 2018.

Intelsat is seeking a blanket license for earth stations aboard aircraft to operate up to 1,000 of each of two Ku-band ESAA terminals, the Rantec Airborne Satcom terminal and the Tecom KuStream 1500 terminal, said an FCC International Bureau application Monday. It said the terminals would be used for mobile broadband services to aircraft, and its proposed ESAA network would be part of its IntelsatOne Flex network using its wide-beam and high-throughput satellites and its terrestrial network.

A $280 million fine against Dish Network is stayed while the company files its notice of appeal with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough of Springfield, Illinois, said in an order (in Pacer) Monday. Myerscough ordered the fine earlier this month after a jury found Dish guilty of Telephone Consumer Protection Act complaints brought by the FTC and states (see 1706060069).

Intelsat wants additional time to operate Intelsat 1R at its current 169.2 degrees east orbital slot and then to drift it to 157.1 degrees east, said FCC International Bureau filings Monday (see here and here). It wants 30 more days on its special temporary authority (STA) to operate at 169.2 degrees east, where it has been since June 12, to meet a potential service demand. And it asked for a 180-day STA starting Sept. 20 to drift to 157.1 degrees east and operate there. It said the drift should take about 45 days and is to be done to meet a potential service demand.

EchoStar wants to relocate EchoStar 12 and EchoStar 3, it said in FCC International Bureau applications (see here and here) Tuesday. It said the effort to relocate EchoStar 12 to 86.4 degrees west is to develop new services for the Colombian, maritime and other foreign markets. The satellite was launched in June 2003 and in recent years operated as an in-orbit spare at 61.2 degrees west, providing backup capacity for Dish Network, EchoStar said. It said that on or about July 3, it plans to move EchoStar 3 to 86.85 degrees west for three to four months and then begin maneuvers to deorbit it. EchoStar 3 was launched in 1998 and operates as an in-orbit spare at 61.8 degrees west, it said.

With AMC-9 no longer responding to commands, SES Americom's plan to restore long-term service to customers involves moves by both its AMC-4 and AMC-6 satellites. In a pair of FCC International Bureau filings (see here and here) Friday, it asked for special temporary authority to relocate AMC-4 satellite to 85 degrees west to take over the traffic carried by AMC-6, letting AMC-6 move to 83 degrees west to restore traffic hit by an anomaly on AMC-9. It said it can't keep AMC-9 in its assigned station-keeping volume and "a significant portion" of its traffic is now being carried by AMC-6, which was recently relocated to 85 degrees west. It said its plan to restore long-term service to customers who had been using AMC-9 is to temporarily stop AMC-4 -- which recently began drifting 134.9 degrees west -- at 84 degrees west on or around June 29 and transfer AMC-6 traffic to AMC-4. The company said once that transfer is done, AMC-6 can be relocated to 83 degrees west, at which point SES will transfer that traffic back to AMC-6 and then resume the AMC-4 drift.

Globalstar should acknowledge that it must continue to meet emissions levels in the 1559-1610 MHz band from ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) base and user stations previously agreed to with NTIA, the GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA) said in FCC International Bureau comments posted Friday. GPSIA said Globalstar hasn't addressed the commitment in its bureau applications. Friday was the deadline for comments on Globalstar's request for modification of its satellite and earth station licenses to implement its planned ATC service (see 1705250011). In a joint filing posted Friday, Globalstar and the Wireless Communication Association International said the two have come up with a baseline protocol to govern responses to complaints of broadband radio service (BRS) and educational broadband service (EBS) licensee interference. They said they may refine the protocol in the future, and individual BRS or EBS licensees can sign an agreement with the company establishing a different protocol. They said Globalstar's terrestrial service in the 2483.5-2495 MHz band will include a 24-hour toll-free network operating system hotline and website for receiving interference complaints, and Globalstar -- if it determines it has base stations in the area of the interference -- will have 24 hours to determine whether its service access points there are operating up to specifications. The two said if an access point is found to be malfunctioning or not within licensed requirements, it will be shut off until repaired or replaced. They said if all access points in a geographic area are found to be operating within specifications, Globalstar will take mitigation steps of turning off, powering down or relocating them or take other remedial steps to find the interference. And they said that if those steps determine Globalstar access points are at fault, Globalstar and the interfered-with service provider "must work in a commercially reasonable manner" to come up with long-term mitigation modifications.