Cybertelecom Federal Internet Law & Policy An Educational Project

Satellite

"Three satellite broadband providers, HughesNet (previously DirecWay), Starband, and WildBlue, offer broadband Internet service via satellite. But as of mid-2003 they had only 200,000 subscribers." FTC Report: Should Municipalities Provide Wireless Internet Service? p. 10 Oct 2006

"Two way service for the residential or small office user has now become commonplace. Satellite service providers, for a variety of prices, offer a variety of tiers of service from consumer-grade Internet access at speeds comparable to cable modems, to wide area networking services at speeds comparable to T-1 levels of service. Satellite provides a key advantage: the ability to reach locations out of reach of services like DSL or cable. For this reason, it is likely to be an important means of filling in the high-speed access map in the immediate future. The ability to reach where there is little or no competition has also tended to allow the service to obtain a price premium compared to cable or DSL services. Satellite data services are not an exact substitute for terrestrial data services. Today, these services are delivered via satellites in high geostationary orbits, which appear from earth not to move in the sky and allow dishes to be pointed at them. This high orbit means that an approximately half-second round-trip delay is introduced into communications. (You can observe this on the television news in the interviews via satellite of reporters in remote locations.) For many applications, such as web surfing or e-mail, this produces no noticeable effects. It may be long enough, however, to complicate such applications as remote access to a LAN. Real-time voice and video communications operating over the data service would also be noticeably degraded." Vermont Telecommunications Plan, Sept 2004 p. 1-18

• FCC Task Force Recommends Actions to Speed the Rollout of Wireless Broadband Services to Consumers Across America., FCC 2/11/2005
• KA Band
  • CC Docket No. 92-297; IB Docket No. 02-19 This proceeding designates how terrestrial fixed services, the Geostationary Satellite Orbit Fixed Satellite Service (GSO/FSS), the Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit Fixed-Satellite Service (NGSO/FSS), and Mobile-Satellite Service feeder links (MSS/FL) are to share the 17.7-20.2 GHz and 27.5-30.0 GHz frequency band (Ka band). "
• KU Band
  • "ET Docket No. 98-206; IB Docket No. 01-96 This proceeding adopts rules to permit non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) fixed-satellite service (FSS) providers to operate in certain segments of the Ku-band (10.7-12.7 GHz, 12.75-13.25 GHz, 13.75-14.5 GHz, and 17.3-17.8 GHz bands). It also adopts technical criteria so that NGSO FSS operations can share spectrum with incumbent services without causing unacceptable interference to them and without unduly constraining future growth of incumbent services or NGSO FSS system flexibility. It also provides for a new terrestrial fixed Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service (MVDDS) that can operate in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band on a non-harmful interference basis with incumbent Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS), and on a co-primary basis with the NGSO FSS."
  • COMMISSION PROPOSES FLEXIBLE USE OF KU-BAND FREQUENCIES TO FURTHER FACILITATE PROVISION OF BROADBAND SATELLITE SERVICES ON AIRPLANES. The FCC proposed rules that address the growing demand for two-way broadband data and communications capabilities onboard, FCC 2/11/2005

"In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, released November 24, 1998, we propose to permit non-geostationary satellite orbit ("NGSO") fixed-satellite service ("FSS") operations in certain segments of the Ku-band and propose rules and policies to govern such operations. We also propose or seek comment on, technical criteria to ensure that such NGSO FSS operations do not cause unacceptable interference to existing users or do not unduly constrain future growth of incumbent services. Specifically, we ask  commenters to analyze the spectrum sharing criteria developed at the 1997 International Telecommunication Union ("ITU") World Radiocommunication Conference ("WRC-97") to permit NGSO FSS operations in various segments of the Ku-band, and address whether these proposals are adequate to protect existing services in the Ku-band from unacceptable interference from NGSO FSS operations. In addition, we request comment on a petition to permit terrestrial use of the 12.2-12.7 GHz band for the retransmission of local television and provision of one-way data services by direct broadcast satellite ("DBS") service operators and their affiliates. This action responds to petitions filed by SkyBridge L.L.C. ("SkyBridge") and Northpoint Technology ("Northpoint"). 

"On July 3, 1997, SkyBridge filed a Petition for Rulemaking requesting that the Commission amend Parts 2 and 25 of its rules to permit NGSO FSS systems to operate in the United States ("U.S.") in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band for NGSO space-to-earth links ("downlinks") (a total of 2 gigahertz) and in the 12.75-13.25 GHz, 13.75-14.5 GHz, and 17.3-17.8 GHz bands for NGSO earth-to-space links ("uplinks") (a total of 1.75 gigahertz). The requested downlink bands are generally used by geostationary-satellite orbit ("GSO") FSS, DBS and fixed services. The requested uplink bands are used by GSO FSS operations, fixed services, mobile services, and Government operations.

"On March 6, 1998, Northpoint filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the Commission aimed at providing terrestrial retransmission of local television signals and one-way data services to DBS receivers in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band on a secondary basis to BSS operations. Northpoint states that its proposal would allow DBS subscribers to receive local television programming and one-way data services with minimal additional equipment and thus would permit the DBS service to compete more fully with cable television services. Because Northpoint is requesting that its terrestrial services be permitted to operate in some of the same spectrum requested by SkyBridge, we are addressing both petitions in this proceeding. OET Hot Topics (accessed July 17, 2000)

Law

• Communications Satellite Act of 1962
  
• 1988 Satellite Home Viewer Act (SHVA)
• 1999 Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA)
• 2004 modified SHVERA

History

• 1974 Western Union launched the satellite Westar I "Each 12 transponder satellite has a capacity of 7000 two-way voice circuits or 12 simultaneous color TV channels." [Boeing]

Links

• FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force Proceeding and Initiatives list

Service Providers

• DirectPC
• Dish Network (Echostar)
• Hughes
• StarBand
• Tachyon
• Wildblue
• Wildblue Ka-Band Satellite Internet service

News

• HughesNet Sued For Poor Service - After our users have complained for years..., dslreports 5/21/2009
• Wild Blue 18Mbps More Like 10Mbps - Higher speeds 3 years out, dependent on government cash..., dslreports 5/1/2009
• U.S., Russian satellites collide, CW 2/12/2009
• Google and Others Back Satellite Internet Project, Aimed at Connecting 3 Billion People, CircleID 9/10/2008
• HughesNet Offers Faster Speeds - New 2Mbps & 3Mbps tiers (plus 500MB daily caps) announced, dslreports 6/18/2008
• HughesNet Users Report Massive Peak Congestion Problems - Already poorly reviewed satellite broadband service getting worse?, dslreports 3/5/2008
• Japan blasts satellite into space, BBC 2/25/2008
• Satellite May Spread 1.2 Gbps Speeds Across Japan - Japan sprints forward in broadband and space races, dslreports 2/25/2008
• Satellite Broadband: 1.3 Million Homes By 2012 - And that will be just 11% of total U.S. rural homes, dslreports 2/15/2008
• DirecTV to Partner with Current on BPL, IP Democracy 8/16/2007
• Satellite Broadband Usage Caps - WildBlue updates FAP, DSLreports 8/8/2007
• Broadband Satellite Launch Explosion, Broadband Reports 2/1/2007
• When Can Customers Use the New WildBlue Satellite? - And will the company ease off caps with improved capacity?, Broadband Reports 12/12/2006
• Hughes Extends Satellite Broadband To 50,000 Small Businesses, AdvancedIPpipeline 6/29/2005
• Satellite failure hits U.S. broadband services, CW 11/30/2004
• Satellite Failure May Jeopardize Intelsat Deal, Wash Post 11/30/2004
• MAKING THE RURAL CONNECTION FCC RURAL SATELLITE FORUM FINAL DETAILS ANNOUNCED. News Release. News Media Contact: Meribeth McCarrick at (202) 418-0654 or Linda Haller at (202) 418-1408 IB. Contact Douglas Webbink at (202) 418-1494 or Mark Young at (202) 418-0762, FCC 1/23/2004
• Satellite network gets insurance static, CNET 8/12/03
• Satellite Broadband Finding Its Market, Newsfactor 2/8/02
• WorldCom Claims 'First' with 2-Way Space-Based Broadband, Newsfactor 11/28/01
• WorldCom Launching Satellite Broadband, INews 11/27/01
• Back to earth: $3.7 billion satellite-Net venture seen scrapped, MSNBC 10/30/01
• Hughes Plans to Bundle Broadband Services With DirecTV, InternetNews 8/3/01
• DirecTV to Bundle Broadband Access, Newsfactor 8/3/01
• EarthLink: High-Speed Satellite Services, InternetNews 5/1/01
• EarthLink Dives Into High-Speed Satellite Services, InternetNews 5/1/01
• Satellite Internet Access Up In The Air, Forbes 5/3/01
• Satellite Net Provider In Orbital Limbo, CNET 4/11/01
• Net access plans in orbit, CNET 4/11/01
• EchoStar Takes Stake in Gilat Satellite Internet Access InternetNews 4/10
• Internet: Comcast is Internet Ready Daily News 3/31
• Echostar Puts $50M Into iSky Newsbytes 03/27
• High-speed Net service by satellite Mercury Center 01/13/00
• Satellite firms still lag in high-speed Net market C|NET 12/2
• Satellites May Clear Logjams on Net NY Times 12/2