AT&T Starlink
AT&T Starlink
AT&T Starlink
In the Matter of )
)
Filings of SpaceX and T-Mobile Requesting to ) GN Docket No. 23-135
Establish Supplemental Coverage from Space )
)
Space Exploration Holdings, LLC Application ) IBFS File No. SAT-MOD-20230207-
Accepted for Filing 00021
COMMENTS OF AT&T
Michael P. Goggin
Jessica B. Lyons
David J. Chorzempa
ii
Before the
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of )
)
Filings of SpaceX and T-Mobile Requesting to ) GN Docket No. 23-135
Establish Supplemental Coverage from Space )
)
Space Exploration Holdings, LLC Application ) IBFS File No. SAT-MOD-20230207-
Accepted for Filing 00021
COMMENTS OF AT&T
AT&T Services, Inc., on behalf of itself and its affiliates (collectively, “AT&T”), submits
“FCC”) Public Notice seeking comment on filings by Space Exploration Holdings, LLC
(“SpaceX”) and T-Mobile USA Inc. (“T-Mobile”) (collectively “Applicants”) jointly requesting
terrestrial network using SpaceX satellites. 1 In particular, the Applicants seek authority to
deploy SCS services utilizing T-Mobile’s Broadband PCS G Block spectrum. AT&T has an
interest in this proceeding as an adjacent licensee holder of Broadband PCS C Block spectrum.
As AT&T and others explained in the ongoing SCS proceeding, it is paramount that SCS
operations do not jeopardize or inhibit the delivery of terrestrial wireless services. 2 Mobile
1
Space Bureau and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seek Comment on Filings of SpaceX and
T-Mobile Requesting to Establish Supplemental Coverage from Space, Public Notice, GN Docket No. 23-
135, IBFS File No. SAT-MOD-20230207-00021, Call Sign 3069, DA 23-338 (Apr. 18, 2023).
2
See, e.g., Comments of AT&T, GN Docket No. 23-65, IB Docket No. 22-271, at 2-3, 5-7 (filed
May 12, 2023) (“AT&T Comments”); Comments of Verizon, GN Docket No. 23-65, IB Docket No. 22-
271, at 6-7 (filed May 12, 2023) (“Verizon Comments”); Comments of Apple, GN Docket No. 23-65, IB
broadband networks today are essential to American life. Americans rely on wireless
services, and more. Developing advanced mobile broadband networks has also fostered
innovation and driven dramatic economic growth. In evaluating potential SCS deployments, the
The best path forward for SCS is a waiver-based approach that vests the Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (“WTB”) with sole authority to permit SCS operations in terrestrial
mobile frequencies. 3 Such an approach allows the FCC to ensure that applicants meet the high
standard required for waiver and that SCS operations will not present any risk to terrestrial
wireless operations of all licensees, including collaborating carriers. 4 Terrestrial services are
inherently more robust than limited SCS service offerings. Allowing SCS operations to interfere
with or replace existing co-channel terrestrial services would thus degrade service quality and
reliability for American consumers and contravene the public interest. 5 To ensure that terrestrial
deployments are properly protected, the WTB should serve as the sole gatekeeper for permitting
To this end, AT&T and AST & Science, LLC (“AST”) have submitted several FCC
Forms 608 to the WTB notifying the Commission that they have entered into a spectrum
manager leasing arrangement pursuant to which AT&T will lease certain spectrum to AST for
Docket No. 22-271, at 8-9 (filed May 12, 2023) (“Apple Comments”) Comments of CTIA, GN Docket
No. 23-65, IB Docket No. 22-271, at 3-4 (filed May 12, 2023) (“CTIA Comments”).
3
See AT&T Comments at 3, 9-12; Verizon Comments at 5, 7; CTIA Comments at 3, 5-6, 9.
4
See Verizon Comments at 4.
5
See id. at 8.
2
the provision of SCS services. 6 AST also has a Part 25 application currently pending before the
Commission for its planned space constellation’s V-Band gateway links and will file a
corresponding request for authorization (including all necessary waivers) to enable a payload
capable of transmitting on the terrestrial frequencies. 7 Consistent with these comments, AT&T
and AST intend to provide the demonstrations necessary to show that they will not cause
interference to any authorized terrestrial systems. 8 AST has already made significant progress
on this front, recently completing the first-ever space-based voice call directly to an unmodified
smartphone from the Midland, Texas area to Rakuten in Japan. 9 AST’s testing with its
BlueWalker 3 satellite commenced in early 2023 pursuant to experimental authority and remains
Satellite Service system (“Gen 2 system”) to authorize the deployment and operation of an SCS
payload in the United States using Broadband PCS G Block frequencies currently licensed on a
near-nationwide basis to T-Mobile. SpaceX and T-Mobile also have submitted an FCC Form
608 notifying the Commission that they have executed a spectrum manager leasing arrangement
6
See ULS File Nos. 0010538493 (lead), 0010538588, 0010538610, 0010538635, 0010538647,
0010538661, 0010538682.
7
See AST & Science, LLC, Application for Satellite Space Station Authorizations, IBFS File Nos.
SAT-PDR-20200413-00034, SAT-APL-20200727-00088, SAT-APL-20201028-00126.
8
Indeed, commenters agree that SCS applicants should be required to show that that their planned
deployments will not interfere with any authorized terrestrial systems. See, e.g., CTIA Comments at 3;
Apple Comments at 9; Comments of Sirius XM Radio Inc., GN Docket No. 23-65, IB Docket No. 22-
271, at 7-8 (filed May 12, 2023) (“Sirius Comments”).
9
See AST SpaceMobile Makes History in Cellular Connectivity, Completing the First-Ever Space-
Based Voice Call Using Everyday Unmodified Smartphones (April 25, 2023), https://astscience.
com/2023/04/25/ast-spacemobile-makes-history-in-cellular-connectivity-completing-the-firstever-
space-based-voice-call-using-everyday-unmodified-smartphones/ (last visited May 7, 2023).
10
See Experimental Call Sign WL2XRE; Comments of AST SpaceMobile, Inc., GN Docket No.
23-65, IB Docket No. 22-271, at 18 (May 12, 2023).
3
permitting SpaceX’s use of the frequencies. To date, it does not appear that SpaceX and T-
The FCC’s rules do not permit SpaceX’s proposed use of T-Mobile’s terrestrial spectrum,
and Applicants fail to even request—much less justify—rule waivers that would be necessary to
authorize their proposed SCS authorizations. More broadly, the Applicants’ technical showings
are woefully insufficient regarding the risk of harmful interference posed by their planned SCS
deployments. SpaceX and T-Mobile’s applications fall far short of meeting the threshold for
The FCC’s rules do not permit SpaceX’s proposed use of T-Mobile’s broadband PCS G
Block spectrum and would require waiver of the U.S. Table of Frequency Allocations (“ToFA”),
Part 24 technical and operational rules, and the Commission’s leasing rules. Here, Applicants
have not met the waiver standard for the ToFA and have failed to even request waiver of the
In its request for waiver of the ToFA, SpaceX baldly asserts that it plans to operate on an
“unprotected, non-interference basis.” 11 This barebones assertion fails to offer the compelling
showing needed to justify waiver. “An applicant for waiver faces a high hurdle even at the
starting gate,” 12 and “must support its waiver request with a compelling showing.” 13 Waiver is
11
See Waiver Requests, IBFS File No. SAT-MOD-20230207-00021, at 4 (“Waiver Requests”); see
also Technical Attachment A, Technical Informa to Supplement Schedule S (“Technical Narrative”),
IBFS File No. SAT-MOD-20230207-00021, at 5 (purporting to “certify” no interference).
12
WAIT Radio v. FCC, 418 F.2d 1153, 1157 (D.C. Cir. 1969).
4
only appropriate if it is shown that the underlying purpose of the rule would be frustrated by
application of the rule; that the waiver is in the public interest; that application of the rule would
be inequitable or unduly burdensome; or that the applicant has no reasonable alternative to the
waiver requested. 14 The Commission historically has taken an even more exacting approach to
requests for waiver of the ToFA. Indeed, the Commission has made clear that waiver of the
ToFA is only appropriate “when there is little potential for interference into any service
Applicants do not meet that burden here. The Commission should reject SpaceX’s
request to simply take it at its word that it will not cause interference. 16 As commenters have
made clear, the Commission must ensure above all else that SCS operations do not jeopardize the
delivery of terrestrial services that enhance Americans’ lives and fuel economic growth. 17 The
FCC thus should not grant the applications unless and until SpaceX provides sufficient technical
Applicants failed to request waiver of the Commission’s leasing rules, which prohibit
lessees from using spectrum that is allocated for terrestrial mobile use for satellite services. 18
13
Amend. of Section 73.202(b), Table of Allotments, FM Broad. Stations, Memorandum Opinion
and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 907, 911, ¶ 12 (2014).
14
47 C.F.R. § 1.925(b).
15
Fugro-Chance, Inc., Order, 10 FCC Rcd 2860, ¶ 2 (1995).
16
See, e.g., Viasat, Inc., Order and Declaratory Ruling, 35 FCC Rcd 5416, ¶ 22 (2020) (denying
waiver where applicant “has not provided the demonstration that there is little potential for interference”).
17
See, e.g., Apple Comments at 8-9; Verizon Comments at 9-10; CTIA Comments at 2-4.
18
Waiver Requests at 1 (limiting waiver requests to “Section 2.106 and certain subsections of
Section 25 of the Commission’s rules.”).
5
The FCC’s secondary market rules incorporate the use restrictions applicable to the underlying
license. In other words, if the underlying licensed spectrum is restricted to certain services, those
“use restrictions apply to the spectrum lessee as well.” 19 Where, as here, the Applicants propose
to deploy novel SCS services in spectrum licensed for exclusive, terrestrial use, waiver of the
Likewise, while SpaceX’s proposed operations appear inconsistent with several of the
Commission’s Part 24 technical or operational rules, Applicants have not sought their waiver.
SCS operations do not fit neatly within Part 24 requirements. Applicants thus must do more than
state that its SCS deployments will be capable of complying with the Part 24 rules and instead
provide explanation or technical analysis that would justify waiver. 20 For example:
• Equipment Authorization. Section 24.51 provides that “each transmitter utilized for
operation . . . must be of a type that has been authorized by the Commission under its
certification procedure for use in this part.” This seems to include all transmitters—
user and base station—and could be interpreted to require SpaceX’s space stations to
be type certified. This may not be practical in the SCS context, and a waiver should
be required.
• Frequency Restriction. Section 24.229 provides that the PCS G Block “shall be used
for base station transmissions.” 21 Base stations, in turn, are defined as “land
19
See, e.g., 47 C.F.R. § 1.9020(d)(3).
20
See Verizon Comments at 4 (arguing that SCS applicants should be required to provide a
demonstration that the deployment “will comply with terrestrial protection rules for the relevant rule part”
and “requests for appropriate waivers”).
21
47 C.F.R. § 24.229(c).
6
station[s] in the land mobile service.” 22 Since SpaceX proposes using these
frequencies for satellite transmissions, a waiver should be required.
• Power and antenna height limits. Section 24.232(a)(2)-(3) limit base stations with an
emission bandwidth greater than 1 MHz (SpaceX is proposing channels of 1.4 to 5
MHz) to 1640 Watts/MHz Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (“EIRP”) with antenna
height less than 300 meters HAAT. For HAAT greater than 300 meters, the EIRP is
limited to a greater extent, i.e., 160 Watts/MHz for HAAT up to 2000 meters.
Although subsection (b) permits larger EIRP densities and greater tower heights in
lower-population counties, SpaceX’s transmissions will obviously occur at much
greater heights and will be at up to 585 kW/MHz EIRP. These levels would likely
greatly exceed the rule’s limits, and thus a waiver should be required.
• Interference Protection.
22
47 C.F.R. § 24.5.
23
47 C.F.R. § 24.237(d).
7
Applicants should be required to request waivers of these rules, as well as any others that
the Commission believes are applicable, and to demonstrate that the requests meet the
Applicants’ technical showings fall short on multiple fronts. SpaceX baldly asserts that
its proposed service “presents no potential for interference into Commission authorized service
within the PCS G Block,” and it says little about the potential for interference to other authorized
services in adjacent bands. 24 The Commission should seek clarification from SpaceX regarding
how it will ensure that its service will not cause interference to other authorized terrestrial
services, including T-Mobile’s own operations in the PCS G Block. 25 Indeed, as T-Mobile itself
has cautioned, SCS operators must “demonstrate that they will cause no more harmful
As AT&T explained in its SCS comments, “even where there is only one licensee in a
proposed SCS band, the underlying terrestrial licensee and its SCS collaborator should be
required to show that the proposed SCS deployments would not interfere with or supplant
existing terrestrial services in the band.” 27 Protecting terrestrial operations is paramount, and T-
Mobile’s PCS G Block co-channel operations should take precedence over the proposed SCS
24
Waiver Requests at 4.
25
See Verizon Comments at 9 (“The SCS partners’ application to transmit on the terrestrial wireless
licensee’s frequencies should clearly demonstrate that the proposed SCS operations will not interfere with
existing terrestrial in-band and adjacent band services, including by demonstrating compliance with
existing market area boundary limits and OOBE limits.”). As T-Mobile itself has advised in the SCS
proceeding, an SCS applicant “must also be required to establish that it would not cause harmful
interference” and should demonstrate “that its use of the spectrum would be no different than a terrestrial
licensee in an adjacent band or adjacent area.” Comments of T-Mobile USA, Inc., GN Docket No. 23-65,
IB Docket No. 22-271, at 5 (filed May 12, 2023) (“T-Mobile Comments”).
26
T-Mobile Comments at 7.
27
AT&T Comments at 8.
8
deployments. The Commission rightly recognizes that “SCS service options initially may be
more limited than a terrestrial licensee’s core service offerings.” 28 SCS is not a substitute for
terrestrial coverage, and SCS operations that interfere with or replace existing co-channel
terrestrial services would degrade service quality and reliability for American consumers and run
Here, the Commission must require the Applicants to show that the proposed SCS
deployments will not harm any of T-Mobile’s existing PCS G Block terrestrial network services.
T-Mobile has indicated that it initially built out and placed into operation “over 35,000 sites
across the country utilizing” the PCS G Block spectrum “as part of its nationwide LTE
Network.” 30 With such widespread deployments, T-Mobile appears likely to face one of three
options: (i) confining SCS coverage to only the unserved portions of its licensed areas; (ii)
tolerating interference and service degradation or interruption in areas covered by its terrestrial
network; or (iii) turning down its terrestrial coverage and permitting SCS as a replacement. The
Applicants have not shown here that they have the capability of confining SCS coverage only to
unserved portions of licensed areas, as in Scenario (i). And either of the latter two outcomes
reduce service quality for U.S. consumers, a result that clearly contravenes the public interest.
Consistent with the FCC’s goal in the SCS proceeding, SCS must supplement, not supplant,
28
Single Network Future: Supplemental Coverage from Space, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
GN Docket No. 23-65, IB Docket No. 22-271, FCC 23-22, ¶ 73 (Mar. 17, 2023) (“SCS NPRM”).
29
AT&T Comments at 8; see also Apple Comments at 8-9 (“SCS is not presently able to ensure the
ubiquitous, seamless, consistently reliable, and fully functional mobile coverage provided by terrestrial
networks in the relevant spectrum bands…”); Verizon Comments at 6 (arguing that SCS should only be
enabled “while retaining high service quality among our nation’s 4G and 5G terrestrial networks”).
30
See, e.g., ULS File No. 0007175779 at Exhibit 1.
31
See T-Mobile Comments at i, 6 (emphasizing the supplementary nature of SCS services).
9
The Commission should require detailed information about SpaceX’s plans to comply
with Part 24’s (1) frequency stability requirements, (2) field strength limits, and (3) out-of-band
predictive modeling demonstrating that its deployments will comply with the technical rules and
not cause any harm to terrestrial systems, including T-Mobile’s network. 33 These showings are
First, the Commission should require information to ensure that SpaceX will comply
with PCS frequency stability requirements with respect to Doppler shifts. Section 24.235 states
that the PCS transmissions must have frequency stability “sufficient to ensure that
the fundamental emission stays within the authorized frequency block.” 35 SpaceX satellite
satellites moving at over 7.5 km/sec. As a result, received transmission on Earth’s surface could
be +/- 48 kHz outside of the G Block band, unless SpaceX transmissions have sufficient guard
band to provide nearly 50 kHz of buffer. Although SpaceX asserts that its satellite transmissions
will experience Doppler and be compensated so that the user equipment will be able to receive
32
Consistent with the SCS NPRM, the Commission should also seek clarification on (1) whether
and how the Applicants will comply with the Commission’s 911 requires; (2) whether and how Wireless
Emergency Alerts will be delivered; (3) whether and how T-Mobile’s roaming partners will have access
to SCS services; and (4) how managed access deployments will be affected and accommodated. See SCS
NPRM ¶¶ 83–91 (911 rules), ¶¶ 92–93 (WEA rules), ¶ 108 (roaming).
33
To the extent that any demonstrations purport to be based on probabilistic analysis, the entire
model, including all assumptions and underlying data, should be put on the record before the Commission
so that the FCC and other parties can review and replicate the analysis. Absent this information, the
veracity of the demonstration cannot be verified.
34
See 47 C.F.R. §§ 24.235, 24.236, 24.238.
35
47 C.F.R. § 24.235.
10
satellite transmissions correctly, 36 it should demonstrate that the Doppler shift will not result in
Second, the Commission should require more detailed showings about SpaceX’s
compliance with out-of-band emission (“OOBE”) limits. The OOBE limits defined in section
24.238 37 are provided to protect adjacent band PCS licensees (e.g., PCS C Block and H Block
licensees), assuming the OOBE are transmitted from PCS base stations (“BS”) and mobile
stations (“MS”). Further, the limits are dependent on the on-channel maximum PCS
transmission power level, which will be significantly different for SpaceX satellite transmissions
SpaceX stated in its application that its space station transmissions will abide by this
limit, but there should be a demonstration—even if through a static interference link budget
analysis—that shows that the OOBE from SpaceX satellite transmissions will protect adjacent
band services. Even though space stations will be transmitting at distances much greater than
those from BS/MS, these transmissions will usually be unimpeded by terrain, foliage, buildings,
etc., that would dampen a PCS signal. An interference link budget would provide details to help
confirm that the Section 24.238 OOBE limits are sufficient to protect adjacent-band PCS
licensees.
with field strength limits at edge-of-service area at the border with Canada and Mexico—a
showing that SpaceX’s application makes no attempt to substantiate. Unlike transmissions from
fixed base stations, satellite signal levels will be varying continually due to motion of the
36
Technical Narrative at 4.
37
47 C.F.R. § 24.238.
11
satellite, movement of the satellite spot beam, size of the spot beam, variation of signal from
center to edge of the spot beam, and atmospheric and other propagation conditions. As a result,
the satellite transmission signal level on Earth’s surface at the service area boundary will be
continually changing.
This situation raises a whole host of technical questions that SpaceX does not address.
How will SpaceX ensure that the power level will not exceed a given limit, when taking into
account all of the continuously changing variables above? The power level transmitted by a
given beam will need to be adjusted continually as the satellite moves. How does the satellite
know what the instantaneous signal level is at every point along the boundary, at any point in
time? Will there need to be a “buffer” area between a spot beam and the boundary area to ensure
the limit at the boundary area is met? That boundary area will depend on the size of the spot
beam, the elevation angle to the serving satellite, etc. How is all of this determined? SpaceX’s
frequency reuse plan assigned to its beams—which will depend in part on how many users are
being supported in a given region—will also impact compliance. SpaceX must provide a
technical description of how it will manage these issues. In particular, using dynamic
simulations to provide signal levels across various beam sizes as satellites are in motion (and
handing off between each other) would provide greater confidence in any analysis provided here.
IV. CONCLUSION
operations. But the application in this proceeding falls far short of the waiver standard and raises
questions that require further technical analysis and clarification. The applications should not be
granted unless and until SpaceX and T-Mobile are able to make the required showings.
12
Respectfully submitted,
13
AFFIDAVIT OF MICHAEL P. GOGGIN
I, Michael P. Goggin, pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 25.154(a)(4), hereby declare under penalty
of perjury:
1. I am employed by AT&T Services, Inc. as an Assistant Vice President – Senior
Legal Counsel.
2. I am qualified to speak on behalf of AT&T Services, Inc.
3. I have reviewed the preceding Comments, and the factual statements therein are
complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief.
Michael P. Goggin
Assistant Vice President – Senior Legal Counsel
AT&T Services, Inc.
I, Kim Riddick, certify that, on this 18th of May 2023, I have served a copy of the foregoing
Steve B. Sharkey
Vice President, Government Affairs
Technology and Engineering Policy
T-MOBILE USA, INC.
601 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20004