WASHINGTON-Federal telecom regulators, under fire from Congress, have proposed allocating more spectrum for little low-earth-orbit mobile satellites even though such a move may prove incompatible with land-based wireless communications.
The Federal Communications Commission wants to give little LEOs-global satellite systems that provide data messaging, emergency location, vehicle tracking, environmental data collection and other services-access to the 455-456 MHz and 459-460 MHz bands.
Those frequency bands are occupied by commercial wireless, private wireless and TV broadcast licensees. In the past, private wireless users successfully have fought off little LEO industry attempts to share spectrum.
But with Senate lawmakers, like John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), lambasting federal regulators for little LEO licensing delays during recent FCC confirmation hearings, the agency is under pressure to make progress on that front.
The U.S. delegation tried, but failed, at the 1995 World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva to secure more spectrum for little LEOs. The United States has had more success acquiring spectrum for big LEO systems. Big LEOs are more sophisticated and expensive constellations of satellites that promise global pocket telephone service.
As a result, competition is scarce in the little LEO industry and a backlog of applicants await FCC approval.
At the month-long 1997 WRC that opened last week in Geneva, the U.S. delegation is trying once more to win over other countries to free up additional little LEO spectrum.
Today, little LEOs have slightly more than 4 megahertz of spectrum below 1 GHz. The FCC said it expects another 7 to 10 megahertz are needed by 2000 and 13 to 20 megahertz by 2010.
The failure to find enough spectrum for little LEOs has prevented the FCC from carrying out its “open skies” policy of satellite services competition.
Currently, Orbcomm Global L.P., of Dulles, Va., is the dominant player in the little LEO satellite business.
