OneWeb Expanded Plans Get Pushback as FCC May Move Slowly
With OneWeb seeing more pushback against its plans for additional satellites in its planned Ku- and Ka- and V-band constellations (see 1808080003), those challenges could face a hurdle as some experts see the FCC as likely to OK qualified non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) applications. Though it's inclined to approve the new constellations, the agency is going to be very conservative with handing out waivers and stretching the rules, a satellite lawyer told us. One example is the FCC apparently looking askance at Boeing's attempt to hand off two NGSO applications to SOM1101, which ultimately resulted in Boeing withdrawing that request and the applications (see 1808060005), the lawyer said. OneWeb didn't comment Friday.
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Satellite lawyer Steve Goodman of Butzel Long said that rather than dividing spectrum in advance, as the FCC had done with planned low earth orbit constellations, its approach with NGSOs has been to license all that are qualified with the caveat that they have to figure out how to spectrum share. That means interference-based arguments against approving a particular operator face a challenge, he said. Goodman said it's not clear how quickly the FCC hopes to get through the pending NGSO applications, but industry isn't seen as beating down the agency's door to get it to hurry since most constellation launches are a few years off. The FCC emailed that it's "working quickly" on the remaining NGOS applications but couldn't give an expected timeline for completion.
OneWeb's applications are "an attempted land grab on an unprecedented scale," by seeking to add 1,260 satellites to its Ku- and Ka-band network and 1,280 medium earth orbit satellites to its pending V-band NGSO constellation said SES and O3b in an International Bureau filing last week. SES/O3b said OneWeb hasn't pointed to customer demand to justify the expanded networks, and that OneWeb points to changed FCC milestone rules as the rationale points to the company "cynically manipulat[ing]" policies to get additional spectrum and orbital resources. SES/O3b said the applications should be dismissed or at least suspended and moved into a future processing round for NGSO operations in the relevant frequencies.
OneWeb hasn't done anything to alleviate concerns the big proposed expansion wouldn't pose a larger interference threat to competing NGSO systems, SpaceX said. It said any greater capability of reducing interference in in-line events with more satellites needs to be wed to a binding commitment that it will do so, adding that instead, OneWeb's modification should be subject to a new processing round so that the new constellation could be required to take steps to protect earlier-filed NGSO systems. It dismissed OneWeb arguments that expanded constellation plans responded to changed rules, saying it hasn't explained how it could apply for a 2,000-satellite V-band constellation before the milestone rule change. SpaceX said OneWeb's proposed constellation is markedly different from what OneWeb has proposed to the ITU.
OneWeb's idea of a 125 kilometer buffer zone between NGSO "constellation centers" is confusing because it ignores potential overlaps of outer orbital planes, or it alternately could be read to push for two buffer zones, one for each constellation, Boeing said. It said OneWeb hasn't spelled out details for its need for 36 orbital planes and that the company should be made to amend it application to include the anticipated apogee and perigee of each of the 36 orbital planes.
The portion of OneWeb's V-band amendment regarding use of NGSO mobile satellite service feeder bands "would crowd increasingly scarce MSS feeder-link spectrum ... and undermine the Commission’s Ka-band plan in the process," Iridium said. Since OneWeb also proposes a nontraditional use of E-band, the FCC needs to ensure the proposal doesn't foreclose other innovative uses in the band, Aeronet Global said. Meanwhile, Elefante Group reiterated it doesn't foresee big interference issues with the plans.