Advanced Television

Eutelsat enthusiastic over C-band 300 MHz plan

October 23, 2019

Eutelsat, in a formal filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), says that it is in favour of the C-Band Alliance – eventually – freeing up 300 MHz of spectrum over the US for 5G’s usage.

Julie Burguburu, Eutelsat’s group general counsel, and Wladimir Bocquet, director of regulatory affairs, spectrum management and policy at Eutelsat, also said the satellite operator strongly supported a ‘market-based’ solution to an auction of the spectrum, and was not in favour of an FCC-operated auction.

However, Eutelsat said that reclaiming any of the band for 5G would constitute a fundamental change to satellite operator authorisations because it would render useless satellite transponders using reallocated frequencies to provide service and would result in a deprivation of substantial investment in satellites and transponders.

Eutelsat’s meeting with the FCC and its subsequent filing stressed that it wanted the FCC to be aware of the costs likely to fall upon the C-Band Alliance and itself (Eutelsat is currently not a member of the Alliance) and to permit and reimburse those costs to the satellite players prior to any cash being handed over to the US Treasury as part of the ‘windfall’ profits likely to accrue to the Alliance and Eutelsat.

Eutelsat’s filing says: “[The FCC] should provide all satellite industry stakeholders with appropriate compensation and sufficient incentives to facilitate a rapid, consensus-driven transition of this spectrum and minimize the risk of litigation and delay.”

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