U.S. satellite operator Viasat has filed a further objection to SpaceX’s plans to start using some of its satellites for Direct-to-Cellular (D2C) services.
The filing, ‘Petition for Reconsideration regarding SpaceX SCS Order’, was made on December 27th to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). SCS refers to the FCC’s ‘Supplementary Coverage from Space’ guidelines.
Among other statements, Viasat said, “More generally, the Commission has recognised that it is inappropriate to authorize additional MSS operations without first resolving threshold questions about whether there is sufficient spectrum availability to support such operations, and whether such operations would be compatible with other relevant spectrum uses. As the Bureau recognized in dismissing SpaceX’s earlier requests for 2 GHz MSS and Big LEO Band authority, SpaceX should have attempted to demonstrate that such MSS operations would be feasible through one or more rulemaking proceedings instead of simply asking for operating authority – a course of action that SpaceX itself has conceded is appropriate. There is no basis for the Bureau to reach a different conclusion here – with respect to the 2 GHz MSS Bands or any other portion of the 1429-2690 MHz band.”
Viasat alleges that the FCC has granted Starlink approvals (under its SCS guidelines) to operate without frequency clearances.
The company said, “The FCC has long recognized that co-frequency operations by multiple MSS operators are not feasible because such operations generally rely on omnidirectional antennas that cannot discriminate between satellites.”
