The economics of mega constellations providing mobile supplemental coverage from space remains to be seen, and it's not likely significant amounts of mobile traffic will be carried over satellite, Globalstar CEO Paul Jacobs said during an analyst call Thursday as the company announced Q3 results. He said he expected SCS to supplement terrestrial network coverage and to provide coverage in particularly rural areas where terrestrial networks don't reach. Globalstar is particularly focused on satellite opportunities involving terrestrial private networks, reflecting its licensing deal with XCom Labs, said Jacobs, who also is XCom CEO (see 2308290003).

Viasat will cut about 800 positions -- roughly 10% of its workforce -- as part of its integration of Inmarsat, it said Thursday. The move will save it about $100 million annually starting in fiscal year 2025, it said, and be "spread across the business in terms of geographies and divisions." Viasat closed on its $7.3 billion purchase of Inmarsat in May (see 2305310003).

SpaceX's Starlink "has achieved breakeven cash flow," CEO Elon Musk posted Thursday on X, formerly Twitter. He said Starlink satellites make up the majority of all active satellites.

Expect to see guidance from the FCC Space Bureau in coming weeks regarding satellite application timelines and on earth station applications, bureau staff said Wednesday as it put on an open house regarding its transparency initiative. That will be followed in 2024 by guidance on special temporary authority applications and on the ITU, they said. Bureau Chief Julie Kearney told us afterward an overhaul of the ICFS system to improve usability should roll out sometime next year at the latest. Commissioners approved the transparency initiative in September (see 2309210055) and the agency last month issued guidance on satellite license processes, terms and costs (see 2310230062). Kearney said the initiative's aim is to reduce the administrative burden on applicants and agency staffers and speed up application processing. Kearney said applications before the agency are growing both in number and complexity, seeing close to double the number of satellite applications this year as in 2019, with earth station applications twice what they were in 2017. As part of the transparency initiative, the bureau has put together a basic 101 about satellite license processes, timelines and costs regarding the satellite license process, a Part 25 license and market access checklist, and a primer on smallsat and small satellite licensing. Bureau Chief Technologist Whitney Lohmeyer said also in the works are guidance about orbital debris issues, which should come next year, and resources around the coordination process. The event also saw Merissa Velez, chief-Satellite Programs and Policy Division, and Franco Hinojosa, chief-Earth Station Licensing Division, fielding a variety of what bureau staffers said were commonly asked questions: how soon should an application be filed for going on a rideshare mission (if the launch is scheduled, as soon as possible, because processing times can vary, depending on issues like coordination, Velez said) and why earth station licenses are needed if one already has a terminal equipment authorization. (The authorization covers operation of the device; the license allows use of it to communicate, Hinojosa said.)

Planet Labs is seeking FCC Space Bureau sign-off on plans to expand its Pelican and Flock earth-imaging constellations. In a bureau application Tuesday, it requested authorization to deploy 10 first-generation Pelicans instead of the already-authorized seven, to increase the total number of Flock satellites from 544 to 744, and to operate Pelicans at 350 km nominal altitude instead of 325 km. It said the addition of Pelicans would give it more time to develop and verify its next-generation satellite bus design and ease the transition for its high-resolution customers from the SkySat to Pelican satellites as some SkySats approach end of life due to a stronger than expected solar cycle. It said the additional Flocks would help provide continuity of service for customers of the constellation's medium-resolution imaging data.

Momentus Space wants to amend plans for its Vigoride-7 mission to include a rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) demonstration mission. In an FCC Space Bureau application Monday, Momentus said the VR-7 launch that had been scheduled for October was postponed and is expected to be in March. It said in the amendment to its pending application that the RPO would involve an Orbit Fab satellite -- flying separately on the same rideshare mission as VR-7 -- repeatedly conducting a close approach to VR-7. Momentus said it's also seeking authority to test an IoT receiver during the March mission.

SES' O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit constellation should start commercial service in Q2, with the launch of the fifth and sixth satellites in the constellation expected to be this month, SES said Tuesday as it announced Q3 financial results. It said it's taking steps to mitigate power module problems that have affected already-launched mPOWERs, but operational life and available capacity on the initial mPOWERs, while "significantly lower" than had been expected, shouldn't hinder the constellations' ability to serve current or future mPOWER customers. SES also said it plans to upgrade satellites 7-11 and add two more to the constellation. The company said it received its $3 billion C-band second-phase accelerated relocation payment in October.

Telesat is seeking additional time to meet the milestones set for its Lightspeed low earth orbit constellation. In an FCC Space Bureau application last week, it requested an extension of its Nov. 3 milestone, by which it is to launch and put into operation 50% of its 117 first-round satellites, to March 19, 2028. It also asked for an extension of its 2026 deadline for putting into operation the remainder of the 117 to June 10, 2028. It said COVID-19 supply chain issues resulted in contractor Thales saying costs and delivery lead times would be significantly increased "beyond anything that Telesat had anticipated or budgeted for the project." It said that resulted in Telesat's decision to instead sign a contact in August with MDA for construction of the constellation. Absent those milestone extensions, Telesat asked that its first processing round grant be terminated and its second processing round application -- which seeks a modification of the first-round grant -- be converted to a second processing round application. It also said the total size of the Lightspeed constellation would be 300 satellites, instead of 1,671.

Given the huge growth the satellite industry is seeing and the spectrum needs coming from that growth, the FCC should expand satellite use of the 12.7-13.25 GHz band rather than reallocate it for terrestrial wireless use, Intelsat, SES, Hispasat, Eutelsat and Ovzon representatives told Space Bureau staffers, per a docket 22-352 filing Thursday. They said they can make use of the spectrum almost immediately while it would be "many years before terrestrial operators will even be ready to take up this spectrum at auction and to deploy actual service to the public." Terrestrial mobile use at scale in the 12.7 GHz band would create aggregate in-band interference to satellite operations exceeding levels that would allow co-primary service sharing of the band, they said. Terrestrial mobile would also disrupt adjacent-band direct broadcast satellite and non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite services, they said.

In light of China's Digital Silk Road program, which has it investing in developing nations' telecom networks and other tech areas, the U.S. should use satellite broadband as a strategy for promoting internet freedom and global economic development, the Foundation for American Innovation said Thursday in a report. It recommended the government use low earth orbit (LEO) broadband service in U.S. diplomatic facilities where that service is available and permitted. Congress and the White House should incorporate satellite broadband in foreign assistance programs such as the Digital Transformation with Africa initiative and in Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment projects, it said. The U.S. should promote LEO broadband in foreign countries and promote its benefits in countries where it's not yet approved, it said.