Proposal offers L and S satellite bands for broadband use

Broadband has facilitated the move of many services that were once the domain of  satellites to terrestrial fiber. There may be new hope for the L and S satellite band operators who have been in search of a new cash cow. With the world hungering for more wireless broadband spectrum, a hybrid satellite / earth based system using this 100MHz band is worthy of consideration.

The FCC is interested in learning more about ATC, Dean Brenner, VP of government affairs for Qualcomm, told me. SkyTerra’s VP of regulatory affairs, Jeff Carlisle, said he was meeting with the FCC to point out that companies holding ATC licenses could get 100 MHz of spectrum online within the next couple of years. Back in 2003, the FCC overruled objections from the CTIA and the wireless industry, and told satellite companies holding spectrum in the L and S bands that they could offer broadband as long as it had a both a satellite and a terrestrial network component. Companies with this ATC approval promptly went out and raised billions to create such networks. (Gigaom)