Allo Communications transferred control of a receive-only earth station to Nelnet as part of the education finance planning company's purchase of the Nebraska-based telecom company, Allo said in an FCC International Bureau notification Tuesday. Nelnet is acquiring 92.5 percent of Allo's equity and membership units, and it will become a direct subsidiary of Nelnet, Allo said. Allo said the takeover will give it "additional funding and resources that will help support the expansion of Allo’s fiber optic network in Nebraska."

Safeguarding National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration geostationary operational environmental satellite rebroadcast (GRB) stations from interference would require "relatively small protection zones," LightSquared said in an FCC filing in docket 12-340. LightSquared has been pushing the FCC for reallocation and auction of a slice of NOAA spectrum and for conditions on its spectrum license that would let LightSquared share it for its terrestrial broadband network (see 1512310016). Wednesday's filing updated 2014 LightSquared submissions about NOAA's use of the 1675-1680 MHz band and the compatibility of commercial operations there, which showed the two could coexist by relocating some NOAA radiosondes and establishing defined protection and coordination zones, LightSquared said. But it said that study covered only NOAA's sensor data link in 1673.4-1678.6 MHz and not its GRB link at 1680.6-1692.6. LightSquared also again urged the FCC to issue a public notice on its NOAA spectrum idea (see 1601140037). NOAA didn't comment. In a separate ex parte filing in the docket Wednesday, the company recapped a meeting between CEO Doug Smith and board member Reed Hundt and FCC, NOAA, NTIA and Office of Management and Budget representatives about NOAA sharing 1675-1680 MHz. Some state and local governments and private entities use NOAA signals in or near the spectrum band, LightSquared said, saying it submitted a report to the FCC identifying alternative delivery mechanisms for those non-NOAA entities. LightSquared said the general consensus at the meeting was that the issue needing addressing "is not a matter of technology [but] a matter responsibility, logistics and funding -- issues that could be addressed by the Commission ... through service rules, license conditions and the auction process." An FCC notice-and-comment process would have to identify all use cases, if not necessarily all users, of the band, LightSquared said. In that report, also filed Wednesday, LightSquared said its investigation into non-NOAA users "was limited in scope because the universe of users was unknown." Some of those users include the Data Collection System/Data Collection Platform Report service where NOAA collects weather and environmental data from thousands of sensors around the U.S.; Emergency Managers Weather Information Network, which is used by state and local governments and public safety agencies to receive weather-related NOAA warnings; and geostationary operational environmental satellite variable/GRB, used by some private forecasting services and university research institutions for their forecasting models. Commercial operations wouldn't impinge on DCS/DCPR ability to upload data to NOAA, LightSquared said.

SES wants to begin serving the U.S. market with its Colombian-licensed SES-10 space station. In an FCC International Bureau filing Friday, New Skies Satellites, doing business as SES, asked for IB authorization for the satellite at 67 degrees west, where it will replace the Ku-band capacity now provided by AMC-3 and AMC-4. Along the Ku-band spectrum already used by AMC-3 and AMC-4, SES-10 also has available 10.95-11.2 GHz in the Ku-band, 17.3-17.55 GHz in the appendix 30A band, and 27.85-28.35 GHz uplinks for use outside the U.S. in the Ka-band, SES said.

Deere is asking the FCC International Bureau for modified approval to operate the receive-only L-band mobile earth stations it uses in its StarFire precision farming system. In an IB filing Friday, Deere asked for the same 60-day special temporary authority it first received in November 2014 and has subsequently received multiple times since then to operate the earth stations receiving from Inmarsat satellites operating at 15.5 and 54 degrees west and at 178 degrees east. Deere said it was recently notified by Inmarsat the StarFire L-band downlink signals in North America would transition soon to 1545.9775 and 1545.9875 MHz.

Dish Network is fighting to have a piece of evidence excluded as the company went on trial Tuesday in a federal courtroom in Illinois on robocall claims. In a motion filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Dish said an analysis of more than 1 million calls disclosed by the plaintiffs -- produced just days before the trial started Tuesday -- is an effort by the plaintiffs "to prevent Dish from having a fair opportunity to determine whether this ... is as flawed as the previous two [analyses]." Dish is being sued by the FTC and California, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio over alleged violations of the telemarketing sales rule as Dish helped dealers use robocalls to deliver prerecorded messages (see 0903260144). Calling the analysis "a clear 'trial by ambush' tactic," Dish said in its motion the analysis either shouldn't be allowed to be entered or the trial should be adjourned to give Dish more time to review it. U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough didn't rule on the motion and the trial began Tuesday, a Justice Department spokeswoman said. The DOJ declined to comment on the Dish motion.

EchoStar is asking the FCC for additional life for its EchoStar 3, 12 and 16. In an International Bureau filing Thursday, EchoStar requested a 180-day extension of its special temporary authority to operate the trio at the nominal 61.5 degrees west orbital location. The company said since the FCC in 2012 approved a modification of the channels on which the satellites operate, it has granted a series of 180-day STA extensions to them, allowing them to continue operating on channels 1 and 2.

LightSquared's agreements with GPS companies Deere and Garmin and its license modification applications before the FCC obviate any need for a Transportation Department Adjacent Band Compatibility Study, LightSquared officials told DOT, FCC, Federal Aviation Administration and NTIA representatives in a meeting described in a commission ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 12-340. The LightSquared agreements and application have it relinquishing terrestrial use of 1545-1555 MHz in its LTE network while seeking shared use of 10 MHz of spectrum used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (see 1512310016). DOT workshops about the adjacent band study helped lead to the details of the coexistence agreements by helping define issues "important to both the DOT and the GPS companies," LightSquared said. That 1545-1555 MHz buffer and other license modifications should protect all other GPS companies' devices and services, LightSquared said, while any aviation concerns will be covered by a LightSquared-proposed condition that it defer to FAA standards. At the meeting, LightSquared also pressed the FCC to issue a public notice by late spring on the coexistence agreements and license modification applications so as to get input from other GPS-related businesses. Among those representing LightSquared was company board member and former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt.

Inmarsat wants to swap out its Inmarsat-3 F4 satellite for its Inmarsat-3 F5 on the FCC's list of Inmarsat satellites approved for U.S. operations in L-band frequencies. In an International Bureau filing Monday, Inmarsat said F5 is relocating from 24.6 degrees east to 54 degrees west, where F4 operates, and is expected to arrive in mid-February. F5 will operate in the same parameters and provide the same services as F4, it said.

ViaSat hopes to add the 28.1-28.35 GHz spectrum to its aeronautical earth station blanket license. In an FCC International Bureau filing Friday, the company said it hopes to use uplink frequencies in the 28.1-28.35 GHz band for its aeronautical earth stations to operate with the ViaSat-1 satellite. ViaSat said increased demand for in-flight broadband connectivity is pushing the need for more backhaul spectrum. The company's license authorizes 28.35-29.1 GHz and 29.5-30 GHz band segments for uplink communications, it said.

With critics calling for more details on how it will handle potential interference between its planned broadband terrestrial low-power service (TLPS) and adjacent unlicensed spectrum, Globalstar said Monday it will make those details available within days. "That should render any further claims for additional testing to be unnecessary," Globalstar said in a statement in response to a Public Knowledge ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 13-213. The filing recapped a meeting between PK Senior Vice President Harold Feld and Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) Chief Julius Knapp. PK said any service rules for TLPS could only follow more information on such issues as how Globalstar will control early-stage deployment and alert parties in particular geographic areas that its service is now active, how its network operating system will process complaints, and how to even define "unacceptable levels of interference." On interference, PK said OET "should generally rely on a behavioral definition rather than a strict engineering definition. In loose terms, 'if you don't notice it, don't worry about it.'" Globalstar hasn't provided enough engineering evidence into the record to authorize full-power outdoor use, PK said. "PK cannot at this time state what additional testing should be necessary because the record lacks critical details with regard to the implementation of the proposed interference mitigation mechanism," the group said, saying the FCC could add some clarity "by defining rules and setting a timetable and process for moving forward." In its statement, Globalstar said it has had "extensive discussions with Public Knowledge about the Commission’s proposed 2.4 GHz rules and [is] pleased Public Knowledge continues to show an interest in the Commission completing this proceeding. We take seriously Mr. Feld's view that providing additional information regarding our commercial deployment plans and how our network operating system will handle complaints of interference to other services, if any, will help move our proceeding to a successful conclusion. As Mr. Feld himself correctly observed, applicants who wish to provide new services should not be forced into 'testing hell.' After three years of full cooperation with the Commission technical experts, it is time to decide the issue and allow Globalstar to take steps that will improve Wi-Fi services for all.” Numerous critics in recent weeks have said Globalstar provided too little detail on possible interference and mitigation (see 1601070032 and 1512140046). In the same filing, on the spectrum frontiers notice of inquiry in docket 14-177, PK said it voiced concerns about the FCC's proposed geographic licensing plans in the lower bands. The agency instead should look at alternatives such as site-based licensing "and the 3.65 GHz 'licensed lite' regime," it said. "This would facilitate deployment of 5G technology while avoiding a potentially complicated overlay auction."