Rather than launching separate V-band satellites, SpaceX is seeking FCC approval to put 7,500 V-band payloads on its second-generation satellite constellation. In an International Bureau application Wednesday seeking a modification of its V-band license, SpaceX said the modification would let it forego launching 11,943 satellites authorized in its V-band license.

Satellite industry representatives pushed for changes to the FCC International Bureau's guidance on earth station methodologies, in a meeting with FCC officials, per a docket 17-172 filing Thursday. The satellite reps urged eliminating limits on earth station collocation that conflict with commission rules and reverting to the original definition of highways and arterial roads as those defined and classified by the Department of Transportation. They said applicants should be able to decide on earth station antenna gain pattern used to show compliance, and the agency should allow earth station applicants to rely on equivalent isotopically radiated power data reflecting clear sky conditions. Representatives of OneWeb, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Telesat and the Satellite Industry Association met with International and Wireless Bureau staff.

OneWeb CEO Neil Masterson cited benefits if it's combined with Eutelsat (see 2106110003) in a meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, per a docket 22-353 filing Tuesday. OneWeb said it also opposed potential sunsetting of protections for non-geostationary orbit systems authorized in earlier processing rounds from systems in later rounds, since coordination "is working." It lobbied against expanded terrestrial use of the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, arguing it could cause harmful interference, and urged the agency focus instead on the 12.7-13.25 GHz band for more terrestrial use.

A "national radio dynamic zone" could be a lab for testing receiver and transmitter tech to protect radioastronomy from the growing proliferation of communications satellites in orbit, researchers Christopher De Pree, Christopher Anderson and Mariya Zheleva blogged Monday in the Space Review. They said it would function akin to existing radio quiet zones, with restrictions on radio transmissions nearby but outfitted with spectrum monitors. A zone near a radio telescope could test ways of providing broader bandwidth access for active uses like cell towers and passive uses like radio telescopes, they said. De Pree is deputy electromagnetic spectrum manager at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Anderson is Naval Academy electrical engineering associate professor. Zheleva is State University of New York at Albany computer science assistant professor.

Incumbent fixed satellite service C-band earth station antenna operators listed as not currently receiving service from a satellite in the 3.7 GHz band have until June 19 to affirm the antenna is operating and that the operator plans to take part in the C-band transition, the FCC International Bureau said Tuesday. Without an affirmation, the antenna operators won't qualify as incumbent earth stations, it said. The bureau also could terminate in the International Bureau Filing System portions of the authorizations for the 3.7 GHz band or make changes in IBFS to reflect the presumed use of the earth stations, it said.

The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment by April 20 on proposed procedures for the filing of phase II certifications of accelerated relocation in the C band and on implementation of the commission’s incremental reduction plan for phase II accelerated relocation payments, said a notice for Tuesday’s Federal Register. Comments are due in docket 23-97.

U.S. District Judge Robert Payne seemed open to deciding multiple times during oral argument Monday a U.S. Bankruptcy Court had erred in dismissing SES claims against Intelsat over the collapse of the C-Band Alliance (CBA) (see 2210030050). Oral argument before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond (docket 3:22-cv-00668) lasted more than three hours. Observing the Bankruptcy Court decision seemingly sidesteps SES' arguments and evidence about course of performance and all the work the two did jointly after the FCC's C-band order determining that the satellite operators wouldn't negotiate directly with wireless carriers for the C-band spectrum and reap all the rewards, "You've got to address" important evidence, Payne said. After SES counsel Helgi Walker of Gibson Dunn argued that Bankruptcy Court addressed only the negotiating history that Intelsat filed but ignored SES-submitted negotiating history evidence -- which is another instance where the judge could reverse and remand, she said -- Payne acknowledged it was an error to focus on evidence provided by one side but not the other, but he questioned whether it was reversible error. Intelsat and SES separately maintain the CBA agreement unambiguously backs their opposing stances, but Payne found it far less clear. "It's a bollixed-up contract in my judgment," he said. Payne said he might require additional briefing. Counsel for both companies said there had been mediation discussions, but not recently. "It does seem to me to be a case where reasonable people could reach a compromise," Payne said. "You both have some risks here."

Eutelsat/OneWeb will mean a closer integration of the cost-effective bandwidth of geostationary satellite services with the low-latency performance of low earth orbit services, Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke told FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, per a docket 18-122 filing Friday. Berneke said the acquisition, announced last year (see 2207250041), has received all the needed regulatory approvals except France's -- which is likely in weeks -- and the U.S. Noting Eutelsat's interference concerns about Verizon use of cleared C-band spectrum (see 2302280009), Berneke urged FCC oversight into whether Verizon's plans line up with C-band order requirements. She also urged the FCC to open a window for satellite operators to update their C-band transition plans.

The FCC's supplemental coverage from space (SCS) NPRM adopted at last week's meeting (see 2303160009) adds the AWS-H block to the list of bands being considered from the SCS framework, and adds questions about also using FirstNet's 700 MHz public safety spectrum, per our side-by-side comparison of it with the draft NPRM. The approved NPRM was released Friday. The approved NPRM also includes language making clear that during the SCS proceeding, "we will continue to consider filings made by interested parties, for example, requests for rule waiver, special temporary authority, and experimental authorization, relating to supplemental satellite coverage proposals, including those that do not meet the initial criteria we propose for SCS."

SES' SES-18 and -19 C-band satellites are scheduled for Friday launch, the company said Thursday. They're the company's fourth and fifth replacement satellites being launched as part of its clearing of the band, and will complete its C-band transition plan. SES said -18 is expected to start operations in June, and -19 will be collocated with SES-22.