FCC Moves on Parts of DirecTV Ka-Band Plans

[Gregg Lengling]

The International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission dismissed portions of an application from DirecTV concerning plans to launch Ka-Band satellites near its core 101-degree orbital location that will support advanced video services, including local high-def channels.

The FCC bureau move doesn't impact the Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2 satellites set for launch this year, both of which are Ka-Band birds that will support DirecTV's launch of local HD and additional national high-def channels. DirecTV still has FCC authority to launch Spaceway 1 at 103 degrees and Spaceway 2 at 99 degrees, orbital locations close to its core slot at 101 degrees.

The bureau order involves future satellites, DirecTV 10 and DirecTV 11. The FCC document stated that while the satellites are listed as "partial replacements" for Spaceway satellites, the bureau said the satellites won't retire the Spaceway birds but rather will be co-located with the Ka-Band spacecraft. Thus, the bureau said it considered the applications for DirecTV 10 and DirecTV 11 as plans for new satellites.

Because of that, the FCC dismissed parts of the DirecTV petition as "premature," but gave DirecTV the opportunity to re-file the applications. And the bureau said it will keep on file portions of the DirecTV applications that request permission to operate within spectrum authorized for the Spaceway satellites.

DirecTV said it plans to file an amendment to the original application that will re-instate these frequencies, and the company said it expects the entire package will be processed together in ordinary course.