Advanced Television

FCC

AST SpaceMobile examines emergency call obligations

It is all very well for a satellite service to handle conventional calls to and from isolated locations, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) needed to clarify how true emergency calls would be directed. AST, in a filing to the FCC, has explained how 911 calls will be handled and which will almost certainly be […]

July 10, 2024

FCC: “LEO constellations must cover everywhere”

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a reality check to its fellow-regulators around the world saying that low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites beaming broadband signals cannot switch their transmissions off when passing over an unfriendly nation. The FCC response followed a complaint from Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology about alleged illegal Starlink […]

July 3, 2024By Chris Forrester

FCC restores net neutrality

The US Federal Communications Commission has voted to restore a national standard which it suggests will ensure the Internet is fast, open, and fair. The decision to reclassify broadband service as a Title II telecommunications service allows the FCC to protect consumers, defend national security, and advance public safety. Through its actions, the Commission says […]

April 26, 2024By Colin Mann

FCC approves SpaceX D2D application

During March the FCC approved some SpaceX applications and firmly denied others. But on March 28th it approved a request from SpaceX that was filed a few days earlier on March 25th. The application is for “experimental” (“Special Temporary Authority”) test transmissions direct-to-cellular devices from Starlink satellites. The approval kicks in on April 15th and […]

April 2, 2024By Chris Forrester

FCC denies SpaceX access to extra spectrum

SpaceX has been asking the FCC for permission to share spectrum already allocated to Globalstar and Dish Network AWS-4 spectrum. The FCC has dismissed SpaceX’s application. The SpaceX application had included deployment of 7,500 Starlink ‘second-generation’ satellites with equipment operating in the 1610-1617.775 MHz (Earth to space), 2483.5-1500 MHz (space to Earth, and in the […]

March 28, 2024By Chris Forrester

Ligado close to bankruptcy

Ligado Networks is in trouble. It is suing various US government Agencies for $40 billion (€37.1bn) of compensation and claiming that the Agencies “roadblocked” Legado’s FCC-licensed L-band frequencies and spectrum because the US government wanted the spectrum itself. The L-band spectrum was granted to Ligado by the FCC in 2020 with permission to roll out […]

March 28, 2024By Chris Forrester

SpaceX pushing for lower orbits for phones

SpaceX is asking the FCC for permission to operate some of its mega-constellation of satellites at much lower orbits of 340-360 kms altitude in order to better serve its ‘direct-to-phone’ service. SpaceX, in its FCC application, sayid: “Operating at lower altitudes will also shorten the physical link between the ground and the satellite, enabling lower-latency […]

March 27, 2024By Chris Forrester

FCC: A pledge for satellites and the new space age

Jessica Rosenworcel, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) addressed for the second year in a row the Satellite Industry Association at the Annual Leadership Dinner being held at the Washington Satellite 2024 event. She told delegates how the FCC’s new Space Bureau, established just a year previous, was now issuing licences for lunar communications, […]

March 21, 2024By Chris Forrester

FCC votes for pay-TV pricing transparency

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted new rules requiring cable and satellite TV providers to specify the ‘all-in’ price clearly and prominently for video programming service in their promotional materials and on subscribers’ bills. The FCC aims to eliminate the misleading practice of describing video programming costs as a tax, fee, or surcharge. This updated […]

March 15, 2024By Colin Mann

Kuiper, SpaceX battle over deployment

Project Kuiper is planning its own mega-constellation and has already raised concerns about SpaceX’s proposed occupation of the 604 and 614 kms orbits. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has written to the FCC complaining about a SpaceX request to adjust the altitude of 7,500 satellites previously authorised to operate at altitudes of 525, 530 and 535 kms, […]

March 13, 2024By Chris Forrester