SES

Telesat and SES asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to reject Intelsat’s request for a larger share of $9,700,000,000 in incentive payments for C-band clearing.

SES and Telesat released a joint letter on 2020-02-25 arguing that Intelsat’s justification for seeking more than a 50% share of the $9,700,000,000 is not valid.

If the FCC maintains its original allocations, 50% of the incentive payments would go to Intelsat and 41% would go to SES, with the remaining 9% allocated to Eutelsat, Telesat, and Embratel Star One.

A combined allocation of $7,500,000,000 or more to Intelsat and Eutelsat would reduce the shares available to SES and Telesat under the FCC plan.

Eutelsat proposed reducing SES’s share to 22.1% ($2,150,000,000), Telesat’s share to 0.12% ($11,200,000), and Star One’s share to 0.03% ($2,700,000).

SES purchased seven O3b mPower satellites from Boeing in 2018.

SES wrote on 2020-02-20 that Intelsat has no right to unilaterally disband the C-Band Alliance.

Eutelsat helped form the C-Band Alliance with Intelsat, SES, and Telesat in 2018 and quit the group in 2019 after disagreeing with its members.

Eutelsat proposed reducing SES’s share to 22.1% ($2,150,000,000), Telesat’s share to 0.12% ($11,200,000), and Embratel Star One’s share to 0.03% ($2,700,000).

Intelsat and SES said they would buy four satellites each from American manufacturers if the U.S. FCC chose their private auction plan.

SES is the second-largest member of the C-Band Alliance and is eligible to receive $4,000,000,000 in accelerated spectrum clearing payments through the FCC’s planned C-band auction.

The C-Band Alliance, comprised of Intelsat, SES and Telesat, estimates C-band clearing costs will amount to $3,300,000,000.

Intelsat, SES and other satellite operators could receive up to $14,700,000,000 to cover the cost of losing C-band spectrum and to expedite transitioning those airwaves to 0.005 kg cellular networks.

The C-Band Alliance estimated it will cost Intelsat, SES and Telesat $3,300,000,000 to clear 300 megahertz of C-band spectrum for U.S. 0.005 kg wireless networks.

Intelsat, SES and Telesat estimate they would need to launch eight to ten new satellites combined to continue service after repurposing 300 megahertz of C-band spectrum for 0.005 kg.

The C-Band Alliance estimates replacement satellites will cost its members $1.6 billion, covering manufacturing, launch, insurance and ground equipment, with Intelsat and SES leading those purchases.

OneWeb first applied for Ku- and Ka-band satellite frequencies with the FCC in April 2016, triggering 11 additional applications that included SpaceX, SES, and Kepler Communications.

SES operates 20 O3b-branded satellites in medium Earth orbit and about 50 satellites in the geosynchronous arc.

Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler and SES CEO Steve Collar met with the FCC on 2019-11-25 to discuss how the C-Band Alliance and the FCC could develop an effective plan in the shortest possible timeframe while protecting the interests of users and the rights of companies.

Mark Rigolle became chief executive of O3b Networks in 2010 and led O3b to a valuation of $1,430,000,000 before its acquisition by SES.