TMI, Motient want to build land network to improve coverage of satellite system

TMI Communications, Ottawa, and U.S.-based Motient Corp. are asking the federal government for approval to build a controversial terrestrial network to expand and improve its satellite service in urban areas – a plan similar to ones in the U.S. that PCS players there have already opposed. TMI and Motient, which are in the process of merging under the banner Mobile Satellite Ventures LP (RoW, Jan. 22/01), want to use portions of the L-band spectrum for the terrestrial component of their network. Motient and rival New ICO Global have already filed similar applications with the Federal Communications Commission and are awaiting a decision (RoW Update, Aug. 13/01). The Canadian subsidiary, Mobile Satellite Ventures Canada Inc. (MSV Canada), filed a two-part application with Industry Canada. One part seeks approval for the terrestrial network build and the other requests approval of the proposed merger of the two companies. While the proposed merger will be dealt with under existing competition rules and policies, the application to use satellite spectrum for terrestrial purposes necessitates a potentially fractious public consultation that Industry Canada announced in Gazette Notice DGTP-009-01. "The specific aspect of this consultation relates to the unique proposal in the application to utilize part of the assigned spectrum to operate a complementary terrestrial mobile service to enhance the mobile satellite coverage as an ‘in-fill’," states the department’s October 2001 consultation document. "The application suggests that this in-fill capability is particularly important where satellite signals are blocked in urban centres by obstructions such as high-rise buildings." In their application, the companies suggest that one of the major impediments to greater availability and quality of service for MSS is the lack of signal coverage in major urban areas. "Large buildings cast signal ‘shadows’ which block or degrade reception," the companies write. "This presents existing and potential users with a major limitation on the functionality of their handsets and the mobile satellite service itself." TMI and Motient want to build terrestrial coverage using fill-in base stations. The combined satellite-terrestrial network, dubbed MNET, would ensure quality and interference-free service through an integrated network with demand-based dynamic channel allocation. The network would provide seamless and ubiquitous coverage by automatically handing off the satellite signal to the terrestrial base station when the signal degradation reaches a certain level. If approved, the system would use two 33 MHz channels in the 1500 MHz band, shared among operators from the U.S., Russia, Mexico, Canada, and INMARSAT. This arrangement is referred to the five-party arrangement. Similar proposal opposed in the U.S. by terrestrial wireless playersThe issue of MSS players using portions of their allocated satellite spectrum in a terrestrial system has already proven contentious south of the border as mobile operators fear further competition. The U.S. wireless industry claims that giving ICO and Motient the right to use their assigned spectrum in a terrestrial network would give them an unfair advantage over their mobile wireless counterparts. That industry paid billions of dollars for its spectrum through several auctions, and argues that satellite players shouldn’t be granted the right to implement terrestrial services. In Canada, TMI and Motient point out that since the L-band spectrum is not currently utilized in urban areas due to the "shadowing" effect, the door is open to implement services in this band. "Indeed, even though L-band spectrum is currently assigned to MSS throughout North America, it cannot be effectively used in denser urban areas. Nor could it be re-assigned to another application, since MSAT terminals using this spectrum travel everywhere and would interfere with any alternative usage," the companies write. "However, under an integrated system using base stations to provide fill-in coverage, MSS service will efficiently utilize the assigned spectrum and ensure complete coverage in urban, rural and remote areas." If Industry Canada approves the merger, MSV Canada plans to launch two new satellites that would replace the aging MSAT birds. The first of the two satellites would be launched in about four years and would replace the American MSAT in the 101 degrees West orbital slot. The other would take over from the Canadian MSAT and operate in the 106.5 degrees West orbital slot. No timeframe was provided on the launch of the second satellite. Both satellites would be equipped to provide spot beam coverage that provides an efficient reuse of the L-band spectrum, which would then enable the introduction of terrestrial services in the same band. A footnote in the consultation paper states that "if a multi-beam MSS satellite model was to operate as a series of seven-beam clusters and each beam in a cluster were to be assigned 1+1 MHz of exclusive spectrum for a total of 7+7 MHz, it could be technically feasible to utilize a large portion of the unused 6+6 MHz spectrum in each of the 200-300 km satellite beams to accommodate terrestrial mobile services. With terrestrial cellular spectrum reuse, this spectrum could provide good capacity for a mobile service to complement satellite service coverage in urban centres."

TMI, Motient want to build land network to improve coverage of satellite system

News | 11/13/2001 5:00 am EST

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