*Pages 1--3 from Microsoft Word - 30201* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov TTY: 1- 888- 835- 5322 DA 03- 2630 August 12, 2003 INTERNATIONAL BUREAU EXPLAINS PROCEDURE FOR KA- BAND GSO- LIKE SATELLITE APPLICATIONS Report No. SPB- 189 In 1997 and 2001, the International Bureau (Bureau) issued a number of licenses to operate geostationary satellite- orbit (GSO) satellites in the Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) in the Ka- band. 1 Many of those licensees have since surrendered orbital locations or have had their licenses revoked. As a result, the orbit locations listed in the attachment to this Public Notice are available for reassignment. 2 The Bureau has announced that it will make these orbit locations available to current Ka- band licensees before these locations are available to other interested parties. 3 In this Public Notice, the Bureau announces its procedures for doing so. The Bureau will accept modification applications from current Ka- band GSO FSS licensees to relocate one or more of their satellites to any of the orbit locations listed in the 1 Assignment of Orbital Locations to Space Stations in the Ka- band, Order, 13 FCC Rcd 1030 (Int'l Bur. 1996); Second Round Assignment of Geostationary Satellite Orbit Locations to Fixed Satellite Service Space Stations in the Ka- band, Order, 16 FCC Rcd 14389 (Int'l Bur. 2001). 2 Licensees are reminded that locations listed as “available” do not necessarily indicate date- priority for a U. S. satellite at that location pursuant to the International Telecommunication Union’s international coordination procedures. 3 Second Round Assignment of Geostationary Satellite Orbit Locations to Fixed Satellite Service Space Stations in the Ka- band, Order, 17 FCC Rcd 14400 (Int'l Bur. 2002); National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, Petition for Reconsideration of the Second Round Assignment of Geostationary Satellite Orbit Locations to Fixed Satellite Service Space Stations in the Ka- band, Order on Reconsideration, DA 03- 2627 (rel. August 12, 2003). 1 2 attachment. 4 Any such modification application filed at or before 12: 00 PM on August 26, 2003 will be considered before applications filed by other entities for these locations, in the event that the freeze on new satellite applications imposed by the First Space Station Reform Order 5 is lifted before August 26, 2003. In addition, all modification applications filed by current licensees before 12: 00 PM on August 26, 2003 will be treated as though they were filed at the same time. In the event that we receive conflicting requests within the 14 day time frame for the same orbit location by current licensees, we will divide the spectrum at that orbit location equally among the parties pursuant to the procedures adopted in the First Space Station Reform Order. 6 Modification requests for reassignment filed by current Ka- band GSO licensees after 12: 00 PM on August 26, 2003 will be considered under the first- come, first- served procedure for GSO- like satellites adopted in the First Space Station Reform Order. For further information, contact Alyssa Roberts at (202) 418- 7276 or Steven Spaeth at (202) 418- 1539 in the Satellite Division, Policy Branch. 4 On March 28, 2003, Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (Hughes) filed a modification application to reassign one of its licensed satellites from 49° W. L. to 30° E. L. Hughes's modification application will be considered together with other applications filed pursuant to this public notice. CAI Data Systems, Inc. and Pegasus Development Corp. have submitted informal requests for reassignments of orbit locations. Those licensees must file modification applications if they seek to be considered for reassignments pursuant to the procedure announced in this Public Notice. 5 Amendment of the Commission's Space Station Licensing Rules and Policies, First Report and Order, 18 FCC Rcd 10760, 10798 (2003) (First Space Station Reform Order); Commission Adopts Freeze on New Satellite License Applications, Public Notice, 18 FCC Rcd 7903 (2003). 6 First Space Station Reform Order, 18 FCC Rcd at 10813. 2 3 ATTACHMENT Available Ka- band Orbit Locations Former Licensee Location Astrolink 21.5° W. L. 175.25° E. L. CyberStar 105.5° E. L. HNS 54° E. L. 164° E. L. PanAmSat 173° E. L. (from Hughes) 149° E. L. 124.5° E. L. 36° E. L. 48° E. L. 40° E. L. SES (GE Americom) 17° W. L. 56° E. L. Wild Blue 73° W. L. DirectCom Networks 127° W. L. 123° W. L. Hughes 131° W. L. 30° E. L. 7. 5° W. L. 103° E. L. KaStarCom 111° W. L. Lockheed Martin 129° W. L. 51° W. L. 52° E. L. 99° E. L. 151.5° E. L. Former Licensee Location Northrup Grumman 119° W. L. 79° W. L. 15° E. L. 116.5° E. L. Pacific Century Group 62° W. L. 71° W. L. PanAmSat 133° W. L. 58° W. L. 45° W. L. 68.5° E. L. 72.7° E. L. 166° E. L. Pegasus 43° W. L. 28° E. L. 107.5° E. L. Loral Space 81° W. L. 47° W. L. 78° E. L. Motorota 91° W. L. 87° W. L. 77° W. L. 75° W. L. 3