WASHINGTON-The United States had mixed success in securing more spectrum for next-generation global satellite systems at the World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, an event unexpectedly preoccupied with the mammoth Teledesic Corp. network planned by high-tech billionaires Craig McCaw and Bill Gates.
“I think this conference was successful in addressing regulatory and spectrum issues that will ultimately benefit all people in all lands,” said Ambassador Brian Fontes, who headed the U.S. delegation.
Fontes, a regulatory affairs executive at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and a former top aide to Federal Communications Commission member James Quello, added, “Those living in the most developed nations and those living in the least developed regions of the world will eventually have access to comparable, competitive telecommunications services.”
Big low-earth-orbit satellite systems, licensed to TRW Inc. (Odyssey), Motorola Inc. (Iridium) and Loral-Qualcomm L.P. (Globalstar) that promise pocket telephone service around the world, were big winners after picking up additional feeder link frequencies. Up to two additional big LEOs could still be authorized by federal regulators.
“This decision, which enables Globalstar to complete its system as originally designed, validates the approach Globalstar has taken from the start,” said Loral Chairman Bernard Schwartz. “Completion of the WRC will now be followed by local authorizing licenses in countries around the world.”
Little LEOs, global satellite systems that specialize in mobile data applications, did not fair as well. A limited amount of uplink spectrum was allocated to the service; less than the amount sought by the United States.
The failure to obtain more frequencies for systems licensed to Orbital Communications Corp. and Starsys Global Positioning Inc. was attributed to the lack of studies showing that little LEO spectrum can be shared with terrestrial wireless systems. The little LEO spectrum issue is expected to resurface at the next WRC in 1997.
WRC, sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union and held Oct. 23 to Nov. 17, also paved the way for ICO Global Communications Ltd. (formerly Inmarsat-P) and others to compete with Odyssey, Iridium and Globalstar by 2000.
ICO, developed and funded by governmental members of the International Mobile Satellite Organization, plans to spend $2.6 billion on a global pocket phone network comprised of 10 intermediate circular orbit satellites. Inmarsat will hold a 15 percent stake in ICO, though government members have the option of increasing their ownership in ICO beyond that level.
A controversial issue expected to be cleared up early next year by the Clinton administration involves whether Comsat Corp., a Bethesda, Md.-based communications and entertainment firm that also serves as the U.S. signatory to Inmarsat and the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, can invest in ICO.
U.S. mobile satellite companies want assurances that ICO will not have the privileges and legal immunities accorded to Inmarsat.
Teledesic, which intends to invest $9 billion to build a global wireless network using 840 low-earth-orbiting satellites, won rights to access 400 megahertz immediately and 100 megahertz two years from now in the Ka-band (28-30 GHz).
Geared primarily to fixed broadband information services, Teledesic’s project has been described as “fiber in the sky” and a “global broadband Internet.”
“This is a major step forward for Teledesic,” said Teledesic President Russell Daggatt. “We now have the regulatory certainty we need to move ahead.”
One participant at WRC-95 said Teledesic-as a private concern-had an enormous presence and wielded significant influence at a gathering designed for stately negotiations among nations.
In fact, spectrum issues related to Teledesic’s proposed system were not even on the scheduled WRC-95 agenda. Yet those issues still managed to get significant attention from the U.S. delegation and ultimately get resolved in favor of the firm with the help of developing countries.
