Satellite Broadband Companies Join Forces for Broadband Discussion
Satellite broadband companies are combining efforts to convince the FCC and Congress to define “broadband” within a range that satellite technology could handle. Failure to do so could be a major blow to the industry, giving competitive advantage to other technologies, industry officials said.
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Hughes Network Systems and WildBlue Communications, with about 1 million subscribers, making up the majority of satellite broadband services, joined forces in filing comments at the FCC on its broadband plan. By working together, they can say they're working for an industry goal rather than for individual corporate interests, said WildBlue Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs Lisa Scalpone.
The two providers said the FCC should adopt NTIA and RUS’s broadband stimulus definitions of at least 768 kbps downstream and 200 kbps upstream, which satellites can handle. Limits slightly higher could exclude the companies from getting government money in the future, for instance if broadband were one day included in the Universal Service Fund.
The satellite providers need to have a larger presence in Washington to make sure they're at the table for every discussion of broadband, said Scalpone. “We don’t have the resources to be at every broadband workshop or submit comments all the time,” she said. Instead, Hughes and WildBlue make a major point of pointing out that no other technology looks at remote areas as their primary market. “That’s our sweet spot,” said Scalpone. The FCC is scheduled to deliver its plan to Congress in February.
EchoStar has also joined the fray, as it may soon enter the satellite broadband industry on a bigger scale. The company said in comments to the commission on Wednesday that the FCC should follow the NTIA and RUS’s lead when deciding data speeds. The company echoed Hughes and WildBlue several times, saying the commission should focus on providing universal deployment of broadband rather than requiring higher speeds that would leave satellite broadband providers unable to participate. The commission shouldn’t “let the perfect become the enemy of the good,” by muting the technology’s ability to reach remote areas with “an unduly rigorous definition,” EchoStar said.
EchoStar also said it filed applications for federal broadband stimulus funds with NTIA and RUS, and that it would be “unfortunate” if a service that was funded by that program would not be acceptable under an increased FCC standard. While the company does have a small stake in WildBlue, one of the company’s stimulus applications would involve EchoStar providing the service alone, a company official told us. - Tim Warren