Pointing to its submission of multiple pages of link budgets at a variety of power flux-density levels, SpaceX waved off Omnispace's criticisms that it dodged FCC Space Bureau questions about proposed supplemental coverage from space service (see 2311200029). In a docket 23-135 filing Monday, SpaceX said Omnispace was "attempt[ing] to bog down staff, waste Commission resources, and ultimately delay approval of a new service." It called Omnispace's requests for interference studies in regions outside the U.S. a delay tactic. "Omnispace’s tired scorched-earth campaign makes clear that no amount of information will be enough," SpaceX said. Omnispace didn't comment.

Some in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing spectrum needs can be met in the near term with current spectrum allocations and through existing and planned commercial services, but other types of access might involve changes to U.S. and international spectrum allocations and radio service definitions, NTIA said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 22-271. Different ISAM operations are going to have various spectrum needs, and those will need to be addressed as ISAM capabilities start to mature, it said. An easy option for now is that ISAM missions servicing fixed satellite service or mobile satellite service satellites can use the same spectrum used by the client satellite, it said. NTIA said that while the space research service spectrum allocation could support early demonstration programs, the earth exploration satellite service allocation definition doesn't fit ISAM operations.

SpaceX's answers to the FCC's Space Bureau about proposed supplemental coverage from space service (see 2311150022) don't answer some bureau questions, such as not providing an interference analysis for operations in the 1990-1995 and 1910-1915 MHz bands, Omnispace said Monday in docket 23-135. And rather than a monte-carlo simulation regarding interference expected to be seen by other operators, SpaceX conducted a "barebones analysis" focusing on a single Omnispace satellite even though there will likely be other global, S-band, non-geostationary orbit, mobile satellite system operators in the future, Omnispace said. SpaceX recapped a meeting with Space and Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering & Technology staff at which it discussed its answers and urged the agency "not to allow the false, shape-shifting claims of speculative foreign systems to deprive American consumers of the real and potentially life-saving benefits of supplemental coverage from space."

Space startup Xona Space Systems anticipates the first launch of its planned 258-satellite radionavigation satellite service (RNSS) (see 2307120002) in Q4 2024, company representatives told an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr, according to an FCC Space Bureau filing this week. Xona said the initial phase of 34 satellites should be in orbit by mid 2026, with its constellation fully populated by mid 2028. Xona said its system won't cause harmful interference to other U.S.-authorized RNSS operators. It said while there are no prescribed interference protection criteria for RNSS-to-RNSS interference, coordination among operators would determine necessary safeguards.

With the FCC Space Bureau not seeking additional information about SpaceX's pending application to provide direct-to-device connectivity (see 2302080001), and with no one raising credible claims it's incomplete or procedurally deficient, it's time to put the application on public notice, company representatives told the four regular commissioners' offices, according to a bureau filing last week. SpaceX urged that its application be put on public notice within the 60-day time frame laid out in the FCC's satellite streamlined processing rules.

Intelsat, SES, Hispasat, Eutelsat and Ovzon met with representatives of the FCC Wireless and Space bureaus and Office of Engineering and Technology to reiterate their arguments for lifting restrictions on satellite use of the upper 12 GHz band rather than its reallocation to mobile broadband (see 2308100048), according to a filing Friday in docket 20-443.

EchoStar's Jupiter 3 satellite deployed its solar arrays and antennas and is testing satellite communications with ground equipment, the final step before starting broadband service, the company said Thursday. CEO Hamid Akhavan said Jupiter 3 will double the capacity of the company's satellite fleet.

Viasat and Skylo Technologies are partnering on a mobile supplemental coverage from space network. Viasat said Thursday their infrastructure agreement will use its geostationary L-band constellation and Skylo satellite technology based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project's Release 17. Initial deployments will start in North America in early 2024. The direct-to-device service will support smartphone services and is also targeting potential IoT, automotive and defense applications, said Viasat.

Financier BIU hasn't proven that the withdrawal of the Spectrum Five petition seeking revocation of the Intelsat 30 and Intelsat 31 licenses for license term violations (see 2304130048) was due to fraud, the FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered this week in docket 20-399 as it dismissed and denied BIU's request to reinstate the petition. The order says BIU's reconsideration request came more than two weeks after the statutory deadline for seeking reconsideration. The bureau said the question of whether Spectrum Five had the authority to withdraw its petition "is solely a matter between BIU and Spectrum Five and is justiciable, if at all, in a court of competent jurisdiction and not by the Commission."

AST SpaceMobile remains on schedule for a Q1 launch of its first five mobile supplemental coverage from space (SCS) satellites, CEO Abel Avellan said Tuesday in a call with analysts as the company announced Q3 results. He said it's in talks with "multiple strategic partners" about funding the manufacturing, launch and operation of additional BlueBird satellites beyond those five. Asked about the end of the Iridium/Qualcomm SCS partnership (see 2311090077), Avellan said it was unsurprising as SCS offerings that work on currently available smartphones -- such as AST's planned service -- make those that require new chips -- such as through Qualcomm -- less relevant.