Dish urges FCC not to shift its satellite spectrum holdings

Dish Network is urging the Federal Communications Commission not to shift its spectrum holdings in the 2 GHz band and to approve rules for using satellite spectrum in terrestrial settings.

On Aug. 24 Zachary Katz, chief of staff for FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, met with Jeffrey Blum, Dish's senior vice president and deputy general counsel. At the meeting, Dish said that a "5 MHz upward shift at 2000-2020 MHz would needlessly inject serious regulatory and technical obstacles" into Dish's plans. Dish is awaiting final FCC rules on the terrestrial use of MSS spectrum and is seeking a crucial waiver to offer terrestrial-only devices. However, Dish has indicated it will move ahead with handsets that use the satellite component of the wireless network regardless of the FCC's actions. Dish said a 5 MHz shift would set back its mobile broadband plans for several reasons, most notably because it "would introduce substantial delay and risk into the standard-setting process, which in turn would further delay--if not possibly scuttle--Dish's planned deployment." Dish also said a shift in its holdings "would significantly undermine the usefulness" of its 2 GHz satellites by limiting the spectrum available for satellite service.