Satellite

The Federal Communications Commission will conduct a transparent public auction that allows all bidders the opportunity to buy what the mobile industry deems prime real estate in their effort to roll out 5G networks nationwide. The sale could yield an estimated $20 billion to $40 billion for the US Treasury, help mobile carriers build 5G networks, and offer wireless internet service providers the opportunity to bring high-speed broadband to rural and hard-to-serve areas—if policymakers get this moment right.

The bipartisan leaders of the House Science Committee have requested government investigators examine why federal agencies disagree so starkly about the risks 5G communications technology poses to weather forecasting. In a letter to the comptroller general, House Science Committee Chairman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Rep. Frank D.

In a straight party-line vote, the Republican-controlled Senate Commerce Committee has favorably reported out an amended bill that would require the Federal Communications Commission to auction, by the end of 2020, at least 280 MHz of C-Band spectrum for 5G, with at least half of the gross proceeds, and potentially more, going to the US Treasury and 10% to rural broadband buildouts. Democrats argued that allowing even 50% of the

When SpaceX’s broadband service starts mid-2020, the initial experience will be “bumpy,” company President Gwynne Shotwell said. However, she said she expects SpaceX to mature as an internet service provider by 2021. SpaceX has already launched two rounds of 60 satellites each. The company expects it will need 24 launches, with about 1,440 satellites, to have enough to provide full global coverage. SpaceX has not yet determined customer pricing.

At the Federal Communications Commission, we have been working hard to help our nation and our industry seize the opportunities of the new space age. At a 1,600,000-foot view, we see a space industry that is changing, and we’re trying to make sure our regulations change with it. Under my leadership, the FCC has been committed to matching the tempo of the industry we regulate. Our space agenda involves cutting red tape and giving green lights.

The Federal Communications Commission has upheld an AT&T complaint against a number of TV station groups for failure to negotiate retransmission consent in good faith, a move pay-TV operators are hoping adds fuel to their argument for renewal of the satellite compulsory license law that includes that good faith mandate. The FCC didn't fine the stations, but left that big stick in sight, saying it reserved the right to take future enforcement actions, including potential fines or forfeitures (likely levied if the stations did not negotiate in good faith going forward). The complaints wer

OneWeb is talking a big game in satellite-delivered internet access—almost the size of this planet, to be more precise. OneWeb plans to surpass existing satellite-broadband firms by flying below them and in vastly larger numbers. Instead of rocketing a few large satellites all the way to geostationary Earth orbit (GEO)—22,236 miles up, at which point the satellite’s orbital period keeps it locked above one point on the equator—the company will launch hundreds of satellites in much lower orbits.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) has introduced a clean renewal of the STELAR Act with yet another name, the Satellite Television Access Reauthorization (STAR) Act. STELAR, and if it passes, STAR, provides for a compulsory license allowing satellite operators--Dish and DirecTV--to import distant network affiliated TV station signals to markets that lack them.

While satellite pay-TV services are in a death spiral, modern satellite-powered broadband services are raising big investments and a lot of high expectations. Historically, satellite communications services have been seen as a last-resort option for people in remote areas or, in pay-TV's case, for consumers who wanted a lot of channels. But as more and more cord cutters are relying on all-purpose broadband connections and get the bulk of their small-screen entertainment via streaming options, satellite TV companies Dish and DirecTV are languishing.

More than a dozen companies have asked US regulators for permission to operate constellations of satellites that provide internet service. Not all are aimed at connecting consumers, but some have grand and global ambitions. It’s a huge potential market. And there’s the obvious benefit on the ground: Not having internet access makes it difficult or impossible to apply for many jobs, for kids to do homework, for people in remote areas to get medical care, and to participate in the global economy. But this new wave of spaced-based internet faces hurdles.