Telesat pushing Industry Canada to aggregate licences with single provider

Telesat Canada has told Industry Canada that it should license multiple licences to a single satellite operator so as to take advantage of developing satellite neighbourhoods. The Ottawa-based satellite company also notes that this would decrease the overall cost of the satellite, which would also translate into lower costs for consumers. Below is an edited excerpt from a portion of Telesat’s application. Telesat would like to raise a fundamental issue for consideration by Industry Canada, one that is critical to the Canadian satellite industry as a whole, and to the customers of Canadian satellite services. Telesat urges Industry Canada to maximize the number of frequency bands that are assigned to an operator at any given orbital location. This approach is consistent with the orbital/frequency assignment policies of the US and European countries. To have a different orbital assignment policy would, in Telesat’s view, disadvantage Canadian-licensed satellite systems vis-à-vis satellite systems licensed in the US and Europe, for example. Moreover, permitting Canadian satellite operators to aggregate frequencies at assigned orbital locations will facilitate the development of new satellite neighbourhoods and the expansion of existing ones, for the benefit of Canadian consumers and Canadian industry.Thus, Telesat urges Industry Canada to adopt as a guiding principle the notion that licences subject to this call be awarded to applicants in a manner that allows spectrum aggregation (ie, the use of multiple frequency bands) at the assigned orbital positions, if so requested by the applicants. This orbital assignment principle is well-recognized by regulators in the United States and Europe. Applying it in Canada will: facilitate the use of hybrid satellites, thus lowering the cost of satellite services and generating multiple efficiencies, thereby enhancing competition; provide incentives to create innovative services and proliferate two-way broadband service for all Canadians, particularly those in rural areas; increased satellite backup and redundancy to increase the stability and survivability of satellite-based services; minimize the risk of interference to those dependent on satellite services; avoid costs and complex inter-satellite coordination with other satellite operators and government administrations; preserve and enhance Canadian spectrum and orbital resources by making it easier to bring frequency assignments into use expeditiously; and harmonize Canada’s orbital assignment policies with those of other countries, thereby leveling the playing field between Canadian satellite operators and those licensed elsewhere. In short, adoption of this orbital assignment principle will enable Industry Canada to achieve the objectives outlined in the call. Finally, adoption of such a policy will disadvantage no applicant, since there are sufficient frequencies and orbital positions available to permit other satellite operators to aggregate frequencies and derive the benefits discussed in this paper, if they so choose.

Telesat pushing Industry Canada to aggregate licences with single provider

News | December 14, 2006

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