C-band spectrum virtually unuseable, reverts back to government of Canada

Industry Canada’s decision to reclaim allotment C-band spectrum doesn’t affect the country’s primary satellite operator, says an executive with the firm. Paul Bush, VP of broadcast and corporate development at Telesat Canada, explains that the spectrum was virtually unuseable and so its repatriation by the government from commercial use doesn’t affect the company. "The allotment bands and the extended bands are pretty well difficult to use anyway for us at C-band because you’ve got a fair bit of military and other things already happening in it. It’s basically crystallizing that," Bush tells Canadian Communications Reports. In determining possible policy changes to the C-band (4500-4800 MHz paired with 6725-7075 MHz), the department noted that there were three orbital positions in which to use these particular frequencies (107.3, 111.1 and 114.9 degrees west), but there was little likelihood of new satellites using this spectrum being launched in the foreseeable future. Additionally, fixed satellite services (FSS) in the lower band aren’t allowed in European countries that are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The department also decided to limit the number of fixed services in the vicinity of satellite earth stations, which Bush says is another positive outcome from Industry Canada’s changes to the band. "They agreed that there would not be any fixed ubiquitous service in it, which is where the concern comes when you have an earth station and you’ve got 400 fixed line-of-sight services in the same frequency band all around it," he explains. The satellite spectrum changes are part of Industry Canada’s overhaul of portions of the 3 to 30 GHz spectrum range. Not only did the department make changes to the C-band, it also introduced changes to Ka-band satellite spectrum harmonizing the allocation with that of the United States. Bush says harmonizing this band is key because it protects it from interference. "From our standpoint what we are always looking for is when you are making hundreds of millions of dollars of investment and you’re serving areas of the country that are not being served by other service providers, you want to make sure that that spectrum is protected," he says. "...We’re fairly happy with what came out here and we’re hopeful on some of these new services that are being pushed like ultra wideband and other things that as we roll out Ka-band and as we roll out more services into the communities that that the fact that we’re there providing service is going to be taken into account as they periodically review these policies," he tells CCR.

C-band spectrum virtually unuseable, reverts back to government of Canada

News | 10/22/2004 4:00 am EDT

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