T16 approved by FCC, Reverse band satellite as well?

[goaliebob99]

https://licensing.fcc.gov/ibfsweb/ib.page.FetchPN?report_key=1562289

From the public notice:

Report No. SAT-01355 Friday October 26, 2018 Space Station Applications Accepted for Filing Satellite Policy Branch Information The applications listed below have been found, upon initial review, to be acceptable for filing. The Commission reserves the right to return any of the applications if, upon further examination, it is determined that the application is not in conformance with the Commission's rules or its policies. Consideration of each satellite application in this Public Notice may depend on the Commission's action on another satellite application earlier in the queue. Petitions, oppositions, and other pleadings filed in response to this notice should conform to Section 25.154 of the Commission's rules, unless otherwise noted. 47 C.F.R. § 25.154. For more information concerning this Notice, contact the Satellite Division at 202-418-0719; TTY 1-888-835-5322. SAT-RPL-20180913-00071 E S3039 Replacement Satellite Application (no new frequency) Date Filed: 09/13/2018 20:05:34:95300 DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC DIRECTV Enterprises, LLC, requests authority to construct, deploy, and operate the T16 space station at the102.70° W.L. orbital location. The T16 space station will provide fixed-satellite service, direct-to-home service, and broadcasting satellite service using the following frequency bands: 17.3-17.7 GHz, 18.3-18.59 GHz and 19.7-20.2 GHz (space-to-Earth); and 24.75-25.15 GHz, 28.35-28.6 GHz, 29.25-29.29 GHz, and 29.5-30 GHz (Earth-to-space). The T16 space station will use the 12.2-12.7 GHz and 17.3-17.8 GHz frequency bands for telemetry, tracking, and command operations. The T16 space station will be capable of providing direct broadcast satellite service in the 12.2-12.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 17.3-17.8 GHz (Earth-to-space) frequency bands, but DIRECTV does not seek operating authority to provide such service. DIRECTV requests a waiver, to the extent necessary, of the Commission's milestone and bond rules, 47 CFR §§ 25.164 and 25.165, in connection with the use portions of the 12.2-12.7 GHz and 17.3-17.8 GHz frequency for telemetry, tracking, and command operations.

If I'm reading this correctly, The T16 space station will be capable of providing direct broadcast satellite service in the 12.2-12.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 17.3-17.8 GHz (Earth-to-space) frequency bands, that means it will have the capability of doing KU plus reverse band?

If this goes to the 101 then DirecTV would have the ability to do reverse band from 101, unless they keep T15 at 101 and then move T16 to 103.

 

[slice1900]

No, there is no reverse band license at 101 so Directv cannot do reverse band from there. Plus none of Directv's LNBs can receive reverse band from 101 even if it was possible for them to get a license for it.

They built BOTH T15 & T16 with Ku, Ka lo, Ka hi, and reverse band so that they can go to either 101 (for Ku) or 99/103 (for Ka/reverse band) They can't use (no licenses are offered by the FCC for) reverse band from 101 and Ku from 99/103.

They ARE licensed for Ka lo & Ka hi from 101, but again none of Directv's LNBs can receive that so it is highly unlikely it will ever be used. They may only have licensed that to prevent someone else from doing so and potentially interfering with their Ka at 99/103, since they prefer to keep their satellites closer to 101 (i.e. more like 99.25 & 102.75 than actually on 99 & 103)

 

[goaliebob99]

Correct.. Having the ability to do it versus licensing to do is two different things. I was getting at the capability part. They did some testing of RB at 101 in 08 for the anticipation of RB. https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/6520035950.pdf Swapping out LNB's at this point should they decide to get licensed for it shouldn't be too much of an issue as I can't imagine that there are that many reverse band LNB's out there at this point. I'm just curious if the satellite would be able to use all of the payloads KU, KA Lo, KA hi and reverse band simultaneously. or if it's limited in its configuration that if it's doing KA it cant do KU, or if it's doing KU it can't do XYZ ect.

It would actually be cool to see DirecTV do all four bands from a single slot. I'm wondering if they did get licensed and was able to do it if there would be any interference to 99 or 103 from the 101. The other aspect behind the move would be the possibility of additional bandwidth to DirecTV for additional services or even leasing of the space. If they have the bird there, it's a potential future proof to add additional capacity should they get licensed for it.

 

[slice1900]

They will never license reverse band from 101, they are allocated 4* apart. Likewise they will never license Ku from 99 or 103 (and that would kill reception of 101, Ku is too low frequency for that to work without a larger dish) There was some discussion of allowing Ku in "tweener" slots at 4.5 spacing (so 105.5 between 101 & 110) but Directv did some testing and found that would be a bad idea - misaligned dishes would suffer (less of an issue today since they are aligned better due to the need to pick up 99/103)

 

[slice1900]

FWIW, the reason they build satellites with all bands they are licensed for is so they can take over at any slot. They would lose spot beams if they lost D11, D12 or D14, but they could shift things around and cover the bigger DMAs - the smaller DMAs (i.e. bottom 70 out of the 210) they'd just say "too bad" and offer them a free OTA adapter or transition to one of their streaming products. At least they'd lose fewer customers in smaller DMAs from those who couldn't get OTA or stream, but it simply wouldn't be feasible to build a replacement for spotbeam capacity on one of those three if it failed.

Other than OTA, once T16 is in orbit they'd survive the loss of any of their satellites from a CONUS perspective with minimal interruption. Since T16 is likely to be the last satellite they ever launch, that's a good place to be - a much better place than Dish is in. In the late 2020s probably D11 or D12 will be getting near to running out of fuel, and they'll just shift things around to cover the loss of the locals, and keep going until another one fails. When that happens they'll either consolidate into fewer satellites (which may be feasible if it turns out there was never much 4K and they can use reverse band for some HD channels, or there are fewer channels overall than there are today which I think is likely) but eventually they won't have sufficient capacity and l expect when they know that point is coming they'll announce a shut down of satellite service in the early 2030s.