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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 19 / Monday, February 1, 2021 / Proposed Rules 17.717.8 GHz band, we propose to treat FSS space-to-Earth operations on a coprimary basis vis-a-vis the primary FSS
Earth-to-space allocation in the 17.7
17.8 GHz band. Treating satellite operations on co-primary basis would be consistent with the International Table and our proposed co-primary treatment of satellite operations in the adjacent 17.317.7 GHz band. This would facilitate the use of the 17.317.7
GHz and 17.717.8 GHz frequencies as a contiguous band, governed by the same streamlined rules, allowing flexibility to the FSS space-to-Earth systems to operate efficiently.
Accordingly, allowing FSS downlink operations in the 17.717.8 GHz band would serve the public interest, provided such FSS operations comply with other proposed revisions to the technical requirements intended to protect the operations of incumbent services, including 17/24 GHz BSS and DBS systems. We seek comment on these proposals and conclusions.
If adopted, we propose to implement our revisions to the U.S. Table by including a primary allocation to the FSS space-to-Earth but also including the new footnote NG58 that would permit authorization of earth stations receiving transmissions from GSO FSS
space stations in the 17.717.8 GHz band, strictly on a non-protected basis with respect to terrestrial fixed service operations. The relevant portion of this new footnote NG58 would read: Earth stations in the fixed-satellite service space-to-Earth in the 17.717.8 GHz band shall not claim protection from stations in the fixed service that operate in that band. We believe this approach will provide a certain level of flexibility to GSO FSS operators while placing no additional coordination burden on fixed service operators.27 This approach also is consistent with our goals to allocate increasingly scarce spectrum resources in the most efficient and effective manner possible. We also propose corresponding modifications to 25.115
to reference these conditions in our licensing requirements, including a 27 We note that with respect to adjacent band operations, under the currently applicable rules, a fixed service operator in the 17.718.3 GHz band is required to comply with out of band emission limits contained in our rules. A fixed service operator in the 17.718.3 GHz band that complies with these limits would not otherwise be required to coordinate its operations with FSS receiving earth stations in the 17.317.7 GHz band. See Letter from Donald J. Evans, Counsel to the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, IB Docket No. 20330 at 2 filed Nov. 10, 2020. See also 47 CFR 74.637, 78.103, and 101.111. Fixed services in the 17.818.3 GHz band would likewise not be subject to a coordination requirement vis-a-vis FSS receiving earth stations operating in the 17.717.8 GHz band.

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proposed condition that blanket licensed FSS earth stations, if authorized to receive FSS space-toEarth transmissions in the 17.717.8
GHz band, must operate on a nonprotected basis and claim protection from neither fixed service operations nor FSS earth stations providing feeder links to BSS space stations in the band.28 We seek comment on these proposals.
With respect to protecting incumbents from harmful interference, we note that 25.208c includes angle-dependent PFD limits intended to protect terrestrial services from space station transmissions in the 17.719.7 GHz band. We seek comment on whether these angle-dependent PFD limits would adequately protect fixed service operations from harmful interference from GSO FSS operations in the 17.7
17.8 GHz band. Apart from these and the default service rules contained in 25.217 we have no requirements specifically governing space-to-Earth FSS transmissions in the 17.717.8 GHz band. If commenters propose any additional rules to facilitate sharing, they also should address costs and benefits of adopting their proposals.
Although we believe that the aboveoutlined approach best achieves our goals of promoting spectrum efficiency and operational flexibility, we seek comment on alternatives and how we can protect the operations of incumbent services. AT&T asserts that when considering the entry of new FSS coprimary operations into the band, the Commission should consider the impact of these new operations on the future expansion of DBS uplinks. Although the recent removal of the DBS freeze should alleviate AT&Ts particular concern regarding the timing of introducing these new operations, we nonetheless seek comment on this question generally as raised by AT&T. We believe that our proposed revisions to the U.S.
Table allowing co-primary FSS
downlinks in the 17.3.17.8 GHz band are compatible with existing operations in the band given the accompanying revisions to the technical requirements intended to protect the operations of incumbent services. Nonetheless, we seek comment on the possible impact to current and future DBS, 17/24 GHz BSS, or terrestrial fixed service systems, and we ask if the introduction of new GSO
FSS downlinks into the band might have unforeseen or unreasonably constraining consequences to these 28 See infra, Appendix A. Unlike blanket licensed FSS earth stations, individually licensed FSS earth stations would be permitted to claim protection from earth stations providing feeder links to BSS
space stations in the band. See infra, paragraph 55.

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systems. If so, we ask what course of action would best protect the operations of future and existing users.
Technical Rules To Prevent Harmful Interference in the 17.317.8 GHz Band Measures To Facilitate Space-to-Earth Operations of 17/24 GHz BSS and FSS
We propose various requirements intended to facilitate both intra-service operations between 17.317.8 GHz FSS
space stations and inter-service operations between FSS and17/24 GHz BSS space stations. Most of these requirements are already applicable to 17/24 GHz BSS space stations transmitting in the band, and we propose to extend them to 17.317.8
GHz FSS space stations either directly or with some modifications.
Required Longitudinal Separation. At present, the different satellite services operating in the 17.317.8 GHz band are subject to different orbital spacing requirements. Our rules require 17/24
GHz BSS space stations that transmit in the space-to-Earth direction in the 17.3
17.8 GHz band to be separated from each other by at least four degrees.29 In contrast, DBS stations are authorized to receive feeder uplink transmissions in the 17.317.8 GHz band in the opposite direction i.e., reverse-band operations, and are typically separated from each other by at least nine degrees.30
Transmitting 17/24 GHz BSS space stations must also maintain at least 0.2
degrees separation from DBS space stations to minimize space path interference. GSO FSS space stations however, have historically been subject to a two-degree spacing requirement.31
29 We note however, that the FSS space stations in the 24.7525.25 GHz band, which include but are not limited to feeder uplinks for 17/24 GHz BSS stations may be located as close as two degrees.
See Use of Spectrum Bands Above 24 GHz for Mobile Radio Services, GN Docket No. 14177, WT
Docket No. 10112, Third Report and Order, Memorandum Opinion and Order, and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 33 FCC
Rcd 5576, 5586, paragraph 25 2018.
30 The spectrum and orbital resources for DBS are subject to planned use, on a regional basis, under the international regulations administered by the International Telecommunication Union ITU.
Under this plan, the United States is assigned eight orbital locations for the provision of DBS, spaced at least nine degrees: 61.5 West Longitude W.L., 101 W.L., 110 W.L., 119 W.L., 148 W.L., 157
W.L., 166 W.L., and 175 W.L. See ITU Radio Regulations, Art. 5, section 1.
31 47 CFR 25.103. Our rules define a two-degree compliant space station as a GSO FSS space station operating in the conventional or extended C-bands, the conventional or extended Ku-bands, the 24.75
25.25 GHz band, or the conventional Ka-band within the limits on downlink EIRP density or PFD
specified in 25.140a3 and communicating only with earth stations operating in conformance with routine uplink parameters specified in 25.138a, 25.211d, 25.212c, d, or f, 25.218, 25.221a1

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