Globalstar Lease Terrestrial Spectrum capacity to Open Range

" .... What Globalstar did was to lease Terrestrial Spectrum capacity to Open Range Communications, which then went to the Agriculture Department's "

"Jeffrey Krauss explains Satellites and Stimulus Loans

In May 2009, I wrote optimistically about the expected resurgence of the mobile satellite service (MSS) business.

Well, it didn’t happen. Not only that, but Globalstar recently had part of its satellite authorization yanked by the FCC.

The fallout from that FCC decision may cause a huge default in the federal broadband stimulus funding, resulting in a big political mess.

Globalstar is the only MSS operator that did deploy ATC service – at least sort of.

What Globalstar did was to Lease Terrestrial Spectrum capacity to Open Range Communications, which then went to the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) for a Broadband Stimulus Loan.

And based on their deal with Globalstar and their plan to deploy WiMAX technology in 546 rural areas, they got the loan – to the tune of $266 million.

While that was going on, Globalstar was at the FCC asking for waivers of some of the FCC ATC rules.

The FCC insists that the terrestrial ATC service be “ancillary” to the satellite service, and the Commission has a number of rules in place to make sure that the spectrum is not used for a solely terrestrial mobile service.

Globalstar’s existing satellites could not meet those requirements, but it promised that it would have a new system of 24 satellites deployed by July 1, 2010, that could.

So in 2008, the FCC granted Globalstar a 16-month waiver of the ATC rules.

But the new system has not been launched.

The FCC found that the real cause for delay was that Globalstar ran into financing problems and failed to make payments to Thales for several months, so Thales accordingly slowed work.

A further complicating factor is that the existing Globalstar Satellites are broken.

The Globalstar System uses spectrum around 1610 MHz (“L-band”) for uplinks and 2490 MHz (“S-band”) for downlinks. But the S-band transmitters on the satellites have become “increasingly impacted by degradation.” That is to say that there are periods of time each day, at any given location, where they don’t work.

Then in December 2009, Globalstar revealed the satellite launch delays to the FCC and asked for an additional 16-month waiver of the ATC requirements.

In mid-September 2010, the FCC came back with a loud “NO” and revoked Globalstar’s ATC authorization, which had the effect of canceling the Spectrum Lease.

The FCC gave Open Range until January 2011 to continue in operation while it finds other spectrum to use.

Globalstar service has been on a downward spiral service degradation caused from radiation. GlobalStar planned to re-use some of their satphone frequencies on terrestrial towers — but the spectrum is supposed to be “ancillary” not “in lieu of” satellite service. Six, 2nd generation Globalstar satellites were launched on Oct 20th.

A total of four launches of six satellites each will be conducted.

Globalstar chose Thales Alenia Space to design and deliver 48 second-generation satellites to provide voice and data services.

The other satellites in the Globalstar-2 Constellation are now under construction at Thales Alenia Space facilities in France and Italy.

Globalstar was assigned the 1610-1615.5 MHz and 2487.5-2493 MHz band for Globalstar ATC.

The FCC modified Globalstar’s license to permit use of WiMAX, allowing Open Range Communications to deploy their rural broadband service.

Globalstar holds a space station license for the Globalstar 1.6/2.4 GHz MSS system via Low Earth Orbit Satellites.

FCC rulemaking permits Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licensees in the 2 GHz (1990-2025 MHz and 2165-2200 MHz) bands (where ICO and Terrastar operate), the L-band (1525-1544 MHz/1545-1559 MHz) and 1626.5-1645.5 MHz/1646.5-1660.5 MHz) bands (where Inmarsat and Skyterra operate), and the “Big LEO” (1610-1626.5 MHz and 2483.5-2500 MHz) bands (where Globalstar and Iridium operate).

ATC authority would potentially allow Globalstar to use 11 MHz of its 1.6/2.4 GHz satellite radio frequencies for a complementary terrestrial wireless service.

ATC authority will allow ICO to use about half of its 20 megahertz (2010-2020 MHz and 2180-2190 MHz), for two-way terrestrial communications (pdf).

ATC authority will allow SkyTerra to use about half of its 20 megahertz (2000-2010 MHz and 2190-2200 MHz). Their TerreStar-1 planned to use Nokia Siemens to provide I-HSPA gear for the terrestrial portion of the network which will be deployed as UMTS wideband CDMA.
LightSquared launched SkyTerra 1 in mid November, 2010 and uses the 1.6 GHz band (with 10 MHz available for ATC-based LTE service).

Globalstar and Iridium are the two LEO constellations. TerreStar, Lightsquared and ICO are geosynchronous satellite platforms.

LightSquared of Reston, Virginia, launched SkyTerra 1 in mid November, 2010. The craft is one of two that will provide Satphone Service in the second half of next year from startup LightSquared.

The first order of business for Lightsquared is to get their Massive Antenna unfurled. Their 22-meter (72 feet) L-band reflector-based antenna — the largest commercial antenna reflector to be put into service – is currently stuck.

LightSquared’s plans for a ground-based cellular network that will include approximately 40,000 base stations. About 10 MHz of their 20 MHz bandwidth would be devoted to 1.6GHz LTE service — if they find an interested party to build the nationwide network.

The FCC initially proposed opening up the 90MHz of spectrum as part of its National Broadband Plan.

The 90MHz chunk of spectrum is the second largest that the FCC is seeking to open as part of its national plan, after the 120MHz from broadcast TV airwaves.

In May, the Commission made another 25MHz of satellite spectrum available for mobile broadband by Changing its Wireless Communications Service (WCS) Rules.

Source of MSS Spectrum Post

http://www.dailywireless.org/2010/12/10/mss-stuck-in-space/

FCC Probe, Satphone Spectrum for 4G, Alvarion, Open Range, WiChorus Ropes Open Range, Broadband Satellites, SkyTerra, AT&T/TerreStar, WildBlue, roadband Stimulus Loan,Globalstar, Terrestrial Spectrum, Open Range, Globalstar ATC, Globalstar and Lightsquared, Open Range - Lightsquared, Thales Alenia Space,ICO, TerreStar, Philip Falcone, Harbinger Capital Partners,

Mobile-Satellite Services - Inmarsat

MSS Spectrum Archives from 2000

"Mobile-Satellite Services

Spectrum requirements of mobile-satellite services
Ram Manohar
Manager, Spectrum
Inmarsat
Growth in mobile-satellite services

Demand for mobile-satellite services (MSS) has grown tremendously over the last decade or so. Until the early 1990s, only Inmarsat and the Russian Volna satellite networks provided mobile satellite communication services, mainly to ships. Inmarsat soon added aeronautical and land mobile satellite services to its portfolio of services.

In the mid-1990s, the world witnessed the emergence of four more land mobile satellite service systems in Australia, the United States, Canada, and Mexico in addition to Inmarsat’s 3rd generation system.

All these systems use geostationary (GSO) Satellites that operate in the limited MSS allocations (33 MHz) in the L-band (1.5-1.6 GHz) and provide voice and low bit-rate data services to mobile earth stations.

In recognition of the growing needs of mobile-satellite services, the 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC-92) made additional spectrum allocations for MSS. A number of administrations drew up plans to implement geostationary, as well as non-geostationary mobile-satellite service (non-GSO MSS) systems in these bands. Two non-GSO systems, Iridium and Globalstar, even started offering services in the 1.6-2.4 GHz MSS bands.

Another non-GSO system, ICO, is to start commercial operations in the 2 GHz MSS bands in a couple of years. These satellites were designed to provide voice and low bit-rate data services to handheld mobile user terminals.

Several other administrations continued to be attracted to the good old L-band and planned to implement their MSS systems in the 1.5-1.6 GHz.

In February 2000, Indonesia launched its state-of-the-art L-band geostationary satellite, Garuda, and the United Arab Emirates is to launch its equally powerful satellite Thuraya.

These satellites were also originally designed to provide voice and low bit-rate data services to handheld mobile user terminals.

Recently, Inmarsat decided to implement two of its 4th Generation Satellites in the L-band to provide broadband multimedia and Internet data services to palmtop mobile user terminals (see Figure 1).

These services are defined as a part of the IMT-2000 range of services and the Satellite Systems will constitute the satellite component of IMT-2000."

MSS Spectrum Allocations

In spite of the explosive growth in both the range and volume of mobile-satellite services worldwide, spectrum allocations in this arena have not been commensurate with that growth.

The original allocations of 2 x 23.5 MHz in the 1.5-1.6 GHz for the maritime mobile satellite service (MMSS) and the aeronautical mobile satellite (R) service AMS(R)S were made in 1971.
Some minor adjustments were made to these allocations by WARC-79, resulting in a total of 29 MHz of space-to-Earth (i.e. downlink) and 34 MHz of Earth-to-space (i.e. uplink) allocations to the MMSS and AMS(R)S.

WARC-87 made further changes to permit land mobile satellite services in some parts of these allocations, albeit maintaining a status quo with regard to the allocations themselves.
WARC-92 harmonized the uplink and downlink allocations in the L-band to 2 x 34 MHz and made additional MSS allocations of 2 x 16.5 MHz in the 1.6-2.4 GHz and of 2 x 30 MHz in the 1.9-2.1 GHz bands, the latter only being available from 2005.

In addition, WARC-92 adopted a Resolution (what has become Resolution 213 today) requesting ITU-R to study the feasibility of making additional MSS allocations in some segments of the L-band.

WRC-95 lifted the access date constraints on the 1.9-2.1 GHz MSS allocations and made some minor changes to the so-called ‘Region 2 only’ allocations in these bands.

WRC-97 made the MSS allocations in the L-band generic, but following an extensive debate, this conference called for further study, deferring the matter to WRC-2000 for consideration.

So, clearly, the subject of additional MSS requirements has been studied extensively within ITU-R for many years.

In addition, every Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM) has made recommendations on the matter. Yet, as can be seen from this analysis, the problem remains unresolved.

Meanwhile, MSS spectrum allocations in the L-band, in particular, are nearing congestion fast and urgently need some relief.

MSS spectrum issues at WRC-2000

Three items on the agenda of WRC-2000 (namely, items 1.6, 1.9, and 1.10) inherently deal with the question of MSS spectrum requirements.

The 1999 report of the CPM includes clear conclusions of ITU-R’s work on the various aspects surrounding MSS spectrum allocations and their usage. This article highlights some of them.

IMT-2000

One of the conclusions of the CPM report concerns spectrum requirements for the satellite component of IMT-2000, which is to be accommodated in the MSS allocations (Chapter 1, Part B.2).

To meet the requirements of this component, the total MSS Spectrum allocations would need to be 2 x 123 MHz by 2005 and 2 x 145 MHz by 2010, says the report.

On this basis, and taking into account all the regional variations in the MSS spectrum allocations available, it can be concluded that the MSS will suffer spectrum shortfalls of at least 2 x 8 MHz by 2005 and 2 x 30 MHz by 2010.

Feasibility of making MSS downlink allocations in 1559-1567 MHz band

The report also addresses the question of sharing between MSS downlink allocations and the radionavigation-satellite service, or RNSS (Chapter 2, Section 2.2.1).

Even though the studies conducted by ITU-R were not unanimous on the protection of, or non-protection of, the existing Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, the overall conclusion is that such an allocation can not be made on account of the anticipated requirements of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Thus, it is not possible to extend MSS downlink allocations in the L-band upwards of 1559 MHz.

Another summary in the report points to the positive conclusion of ITU-R work on the feasibility of making MSS uplink allocations in parts of the 1675-1710 MHz band in response to Resolution 213 (Chapter 2, Section 2.2.2). The report identifies 1683-1690 MHz as the preferred sub-band for making additional worldwide MSS uplink allocations in the L-band.

Generic MSS allocations in the L-band

The salient message from ITU-R’s work on this subject, in response to Resolution 218, is that the airline industry wants assured access to at least 10 MHz of the L-band spectrum in the erstwhile AMS(R)S bands for their distress and safety services (Chapter 2, Section 2.1). This industry projects its year 2010 requirements for AMS(R)S to be about 2 x 11 MHz.

Similarly, the maritime industry wants assured access to spectrum for its distress and safety services under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), as presently indicated in the Radio Regulations (provision S5.353A).

These spectrum demands of aeronautical and maritime distress and safety services tantamount to additional pressure on overall MSS spectrum resources.

Other related extracts from the CPM-99 Report

In a general discussion of the MSS spectrum requirements in the 1-3 GHz range (Chapter 2, Part A), the report urges administrations to make every effort to find a suitable MSS downlink allocation. They would do so taking into account the results of ITU-R’s sharing studies, in case a downlink in the 1559-1567 MHz band does not prove feasible.

The net thrust of CPM-99 recommendations

The arguments, put forward in the CPM report, on the spectrum situation for MSS can be collated and summarized as follows:

There is an established requirement of 2 x 8 MHz of additional MSS spectrum by 2005.
The projected requirements of AMS(R)S and GMDSS further worsen the MSS spectrum congestion situation.

It has been established that it is feasible to make MSS uplink allocations of 7 MHz worldwide by extending the 1683-1690 MHz Region 2 only allocation to Regions 1 and 3.
It has been established that a matching MSS downlink allocation in the 1559-1567 MHz would not be feasible.

As stated earlier, the MSS spectrum allocations in the L-band have seen the largest usage ever, with the bands now almost reaching a congestion point. Resolution 213 was primarily aimed at making additional MSS allocations in or near the L-band.

A lot of work has been done in ITU-R on this, and the task under Resolution 213 can indeed be accomplished with a little more effort. As it has not been possible to recommend downlink allocations in the GNSS bands, it is imperative for us to find an alternative 7 MHz for an MSS downlink allocation.

Why can’t we follow the example of the MSS uplink case and extend the existing Region 2 only allocations, on a limited basis, to Regions 1 and 3 for MSS downlinks as well?

The 1518-1525 MHz segment, which is part of a larger band already allocated to MSS downlinks in Region 2, could form a matching downlink in response to Resolution 213.

The feasibility of sharing MSS downlinks with other co-primary radio services in this band has already been studied and concluded upon by ITU-R.

So, only a small amount of spectrum is being sought for MSS downlinks in this range where other co- primary services have much larger allocations. Such an allocation would go a long way in improving the long-drawn-out shortage of MSS spectrum worldwide.

Conclusion

Over the last decade, the increasing interest in MSS has been clearly evident through the growing number of filings in the Radiocommunication Bureau for GSO MSS and non-GSO MSS systems from various ITU administrations.

The need for additional MSS spectrum allocations is hardly surprising, particularly in view of the fact that the total existing MSS allocations are small compared with those of other radiocommunication services.

ITU has, for a long time, advocated globally harmonized frequency allocations.

Thus, the regional imbalances in the Table of Frequency Allocations (Article 5 of the Radio Regulations) should point a way to making these additional MSS allocations.

Extending the Region 2 only allocations of the 1683 -1690 MHz band for MSS uplinks and the 1518 -1525 MHz band for MSS downlinks to Regions 1 and 3, at WRC-2000, would enable administrations to almost completely satisfy the projected needs of their mobile-satellite users up to 2005

Source of MSS Spectrum Post
http://www.itu.int/newsarchive/wrc2000/presskit/PositionPaper_MSS_Inmarsat.html

Note Inmarsat Key Player.. ICO, TerreStar, Lightsquared,