DA 95-1309 Federal Communications Commission Record 10 FCC Red No. 13
Before the
Federal Communications Commission 
Washington, D.C. 20554
In re Application of
ORBITAL COMMUNICATIONS 
CORP.
File No. 
2170-DSE-P/L-94
For a Blanket License to Construct and Operate 
up to 200,000 Mobile Earth Stations
ORDER AND AUTHORIZATION 
Adopted: June 12,1995; Released: June 15,1995
By the Chief, International Bureau:
I. INTRODUCTION
1. This order completes the licensing of the first low- 
Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite system and heralds the com 
mencement of non-voice, non-geostationary-based services 
on a worldwide basis. The technology embodied by this 
system promises to bring access to rapid data exchange to 
virtually every location and person on Earth.
2. Orbital Communications Corporation (ORBCOMM) 
has filed an application for a blanket license to construct 
and operate up to 200.000 data mobile earth terminals 
(METs) in conjunction with its non-voice, non- 
geostationary (NVNG) mobile satellite service (MSS) sys 
tem. 1 In response to Public Notice, Report No. DS-1506 
(February 15, 1995), STARSYS Global Positioning, Inc. 
(STARSYS) filed comments. For the reasons discussed be 
low, we grant ORBCOMM's application, subject to certain 
conditions.
II. BACKGROUND
3. ORBCOMM, a wholly owned subsidiary of Orbital 
Sciences Corporation, filed its domestic application to con 
struct a LEO MSS system using frequency bands below 1 
GHz in 1990. STARSYS and Volunteers in Technical Assis 
tance (VITA) also filed applications that appeared mutually 
exclusive with ORBCOMM's application. In order to re 
solve this potential incompatibility, ORBCOMM, 
STARSYS, and VITA independently reached agreement on 
a sharing program that would permit all three to imple 
ment their systems, and leave spectrum available for future 
entry.3
4. ORBCOMM's LEO system will consist of 36 satellites, 
operating in four inclined and two polar orbital planes, 
775 kilometers above the earth. All of the satellites are 
designed to operate in the 148-149.9 MHz (uplink) and 
137-138 MHz (downlink) frequency bands, and will have a 
four-year design life. The system will be capable of process 
ing 60,000 messages per hour in each of the inbound and 
outbound directions. ORBCOMM's LEO system will em 
ploy a frequency division multiple access modulation tech 
nique. In addition, the company has developed a dynamic 
channel activity assignment system, which scans potential 
uplink channels and assigns subscriber traffic to frequen 
cies that are not currently in use by other services. 
ORBCOMM's first two satellites were launched on April 3, 
1995. Following correction of initial technical problems, 
ORBCOMM reports that its satellites are functioning.4
III. DISCUSSION
5. Radiation Hazard Assessment. ORBCOMM states that 
the nominal output power of its METs is +7.0 dBW 
(EIRP), i.e., 5 watts. See Application. Exhibit 4. The METs 
will normally be held out from the body with the antenna 
pointed upward or away from the body, ORBCOMM fur 
ther states. According to ORBCOMM, the limitation on 
transmit power imposed by ANSI C95.1-19925 is 27.5 V/m 
at the source of the transmission. ORBCOMM calculates 
its METs' field strength at 24.50 V/m, even without factor 
ing in a duty cycle. Id., 6
6. The currently applicable standard for these frequency 
bands under Commission Rules resides in ANSI 
C95.1-1982, and is 1 mW/cm2. ANSI C95.1-1982 summa 
rily excludes devices operating at or below 5 watts. See 47 
C.F.R. § 1.1307(b). However, in uncontrolled environ-
1 ORBCOMM has been authorized to construct, launch, and 
operate an NVNG MSS system using the 137-138 MHz and 
148-149.9 MHz frequency bands, subject to conditions. See Or 
der and Authorization, 9 F.C.C. Red 6476 (1994) (Licensing 
Order).
2 STARSYS's and VITA's applications are pending before the 
Commission. For a more detailed summary of the applications, 
see Licensing Order, supra, at 6476-77.
3 The Joint Sharing Agreement, among other matters, provides 
that ORBCOMM will operate throughout the upper portion of 
the 148-149.9 MHz band, and STARSYS will operate is spread- 
spectrum system in the lower portion of that band until one or 
the other of the systems has reached saturation levels for its 
allotted frequencies. See Licensing Order, supra, at 6480. The 
Commission, at para. 22 of the Licensing Order, stated that 
"ORBCOMM will be required to vacate the lower portions of 
the band upon written notice from STARSYS that launch of its 
first operational satellite will occur within 30 days." In its 
comments, STARSYS asserts that ORBCOMM must be held to
use only frequencies above 148.905 MHz, as required by the 
Commission in the Licensing Order at para. 22, and that 
ORBCOMM's METs authorization must be conditioned on this 
requirement. Exhibit 8 to ORBCOMM's application states that, 
"Once Starsys begins operations, ORBCOMM will limit it's [sic] 
operations to the I48.9u5 MHz to 149.9 MHz frequency band 
subject to the joint sharing agreement dated August 7, 1992 
between ORBCOMM, Starsys and VITA." We interpret 
ORBCOMM's Exhibit 8 as acknowledgement, acceptance, and 
affirmation of the requirements imposed by the Commission in 
the Licensing Order, which apply equally to the use of 
ORBCOMM's METs just as they do to its space segment.
4 See Orbital Sciences Corporation News Release, 1 June 1995.
5 IEEE C95.1-1991, IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with 
Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromag 
netic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz.
6 Assuming 5 watts EIRP and a power density limit of 0.2 
mW/cm2, the minimum permitted distance from the body is 
44.6 cm.
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io FCC Red NO. 13_____ Federal Communications Commission Record_________DA 95-1309
ments the maximum permissible exposure permitted by the 
more recent 1992 ANSI standard is 0.2 mW/m2. Under this 
standard, as noted, the minimum operating distance from 
the human body permitted for continuous transmission by ORBCOMM's data METs is 44.6 cm. ORBCOMM claims 
the MET duty cycle will not exceed 1% per 15 minutes. Under these conditions, the permissible distance is substan 
tially reduced (on the order of 1 inch) and these METs will comply with the more stringent 1992 standard. Therefore, 
we find that the METs are in compliance vith Commis 
sion's Rules regarding radiation hazards. We note, however, 
that subsequent Commission action in ET Docket No. 93-62 may affect future ORBCOMM METs.7
IV. CONCLUSION
7. By this application, ORBCOMM seeks authorization 
for the user terminals of its LEO system, the first U.S. 
NVNG MSS system to offer personal messaging, industrial, 
marine, non-safety related search and rescue, and con 
tainer-tracking communications services. We find, pursuant 
to Sections 309 and 319 of the Communications Act of 
1934. as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 309 and 319, that the public interest will be served by authorizing ORBCOMM 
to construct and operate up to 200,000 METs, as indicated by ORBCOMM in its application.
V. ORDERING CLAUSES
8. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Sec tion 0.261 of the Commission's rules on delegation of 
authority, 47 C.F.R. § 0.261, application File No. 2170-DSE-P/L-94 IS GRANTED and ORBCOMM IS AU 
THORIZED to construct and operate up to 200,000 mobile 
earth terminals throughout the United States, in accor 
dance with the technical specifications set forth in its ap plication and consistent with our rules.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Scott Blake Harris
Chief, International Bureau
7 ET Docket No. 93-62 addresses revised standards for radiofrequency radiation emissions, including exposure guide 
lines for people using various kinds of radio transmitting de vices.
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