Advanced Television

Spectrum

Four bidders for French 5G spectrum

French telcos Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, Orange and SFR have all submitted a tender package to comms regulator Arcep for the award of licences to use frequencies in the 3.4 – 3.8 GHz band in Metropolitan France All four candidates have stipulated their desire to obtain one of the four blocks of 50 MHz that […]

February 27, 2020By Colin Mann

CBA could be the FCC’s relocation coordinator

A joint filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week by SES and Telesat criticised Intelsat for giving the FCC “false characterisations of the C-Band Alliance, and [Intelsat’s] misleading attempts to distance itself from the CBA”. The letter added that the CBA itself hoped to be appointed by the FCC to coordinate the complete […]

February 27, 2020By Chris Forrester

Telesat dismayed at Intelsat’s about-turn

Ottawa-based Telesat’s CEO Dan Goldberg has met with senior figures at the FCC to express their dismay that fellow CBA member Intelsat “would now – after a fundamental framework had been agreed upon among the CBA members and the Commission as reflected in the Draft Order – turn on the CBA and the Commission in […]

February 27, 2020By Chris Forrester

CBA D-Day on Feb 28

There are times when our regulators need both a tough hide and the wisdom of Solomon as they get to rule on complex demands. Making a wrong decision could prove to be a nightmare. Even making the right decision might lead to severe complaints and long-lasting legal problems. For those satellite operators controlling spectrum over […]

February 26, 2020

Eutelsat: “No justification to compensate SES”

Eutelsat, in a filing to the FCC, repeats its claim that it is entitled to a significant 15.15 per cent of the $9.7 billion of incentive payments outlined by the FCC as part of its Draft proposals for the use of satellite C-band frequencies over the US. Eutelsat says that the SES fleet is the […]

February 25, 2020By Chris Forrester

Intelsat and SES go head to head

Another suite of missives from Intelsat were issued to the FCC on February 21st explaining where Intelsat stood on the CBA and the FCC’s decision to apportion proceeds from the upcoming auction in an equal split between Intelsat and SES. SES has let its disappoinment about Intelsat’s actions be known. In one FCC filing, Intelsat […]

February 24, 2020By Chris Forrester

SES: ‘Intelsat CBA reversal indefensible’

The gloves are definitely off as far as SES is concerned with its former partner in the C-Band Alliance (CBA). In a last-minute filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) SES states it is disappointed by Intelsat’s last-minute attempt to renounce its commitments made to other CBA members and the Commission over the course of […]

February 24, 2020By Chris Forrester

Poll: Most Canadians support new wireless competition

Public opinion data from a research report by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) shows that a majority (60 per cent) of Canadians support new regulations to promote greater wireless competition by forcing Canada’s largest carriers to share their infrastructure with smaller providers. The findings come as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) begins […]

February 18, 2020

CBA: Senator looks to object to FCC proposal

Senator John Kennedy (Republican, Louisiana) is reportedly considering introducing emergency legislation which could override the FCC’s decision of $9.7 billion of inventive payments. The Politico news-site says that Kennedy has plans for his Appropriations Committee (which he chairs) to “unvote” the FCC’s proposals later in the year and ahead of the December spectrum auction. Kennedy […]

February 17, 2020

South Africa: Spectrum shortage will continue

South Africa is in the process of switching off its analogue TV signals and replacing transmissions with a DTT service. The hand-over process, already some 5 years overdue, and is taking much longer than anticipated. The latest promise is that analogue transmissions will cease this coming July. However, the government-owned signal distributor, Sentech, has warned […]

February 17, 2020By Chris Forrester