FCC Opens Door to Satellite Broadband Receivers on Tanks, in Police Cars
The FCC approved an order allowing vehicle-mounted earth stations on armored vehicles in Iraq and first-responders’ vehicles in the U.S. General Dynamics had asked the commission to permit vehicle-mounted earth stations in May 2006, but no action was taken under then Chairman Kevin Martin. The current three commissioners support the change, and new Chairman Julius Genachowski wanted to move before the two new commissioners join the FCC, probably next week, commission sources said. They said waiting could have delayed a vote several weeks.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
The FCC at our deadline was set to release two orders, commission sources said. The first is an order on reconsideration, clarifying rules adopted in 2005 under a report and order about earth stations on vessels. An accompanying order allocates spectrum in the Ku-band and the extended Ku-band fixed-satellite service frequencies for use by what General Dynamics calls Vehicle Mounted Earth Stations. The technology is used on cruise ships so passengers can surf the Internet.
“We are pleased that this item was approved today, and we thank all those at the commission that worked very hard to ensure that the industry will have regularized rules with respect to a technology that serves such important civilian as well as military needs,” said McLean Sieverding, attorney for General Dynamics. The technology “is mission-critical for our fighting ground forces around the world and will be increasingly so in the future.”
“The mobile broadband service market is expanding significantly in both the commercial and military spaces, especially in maritime and airborne applications,” said Ric VanderMeulen, ViaSat’s general manager of Government Satcom Systems. “In general, we're in favor of any rule making that permits mobile applications to use Fixed Satellite Service satellites on a non-interfering basis because it allows this market to continue to expand. However, we haven’t seen this particular rule change, so we can’t comment on the specifics.”
The General Dynamics proposal had broad industry support when the FCC sought comments three years ago. “Properly conditioned, so as to operate transparently with existing and future Ku-band FSS network operations (including ESVs), earth stations on moving land-based platforms have the potential to expand the availability and accessibility of the FSS, and to bring broadband connectivity to more users nationwide,” the Satellite Industry Association said. SES Americom said, “These rules will open the door to new satellite-based mobile broadband services to meet critical government service, public safety, and disaster recovery needs.”