Communications Law

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Communications Law

• Prof. Karl Manheim
• Spring, 2006
• 10. Digital Audio Radio Service

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Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS)

• Satellite DARS
• Terrestrial DARS
• 1990 NOI and 1992 NPRM on digitial service in
  AM/FM bands
• Technical standards by National Radio Systems
  Committee (NRSC)
• Supported by NAB
• 1998 Petition for Rulemaking for Digital Audio
  Broadcasting (DAB)
• hybrid In-band On-channel (IBOC) technology
• simultaneous broadcast of analog and digital
  signals
• sidebands above and below the center (analog)
  frequency

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Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)

• Roll out of DAB
• Experimental IBOC Broadcasting begun 2002
• Separate license required for Multicasting
• Tomorrow Radio Primary Secondary channels
• Regular operations commence 2003
• AM limited to daytime hours
• iBiquity hybrid IBOC (HD Radio) NRSC-5
• 2004 FNPRM On final standards subscription
  svc
• No Rule changes issued yet
• Search for DAB stations FCC DAB website

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Satellite DARS

• Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS)
• aka Broadcasting Satellite Service (BSS)
• Satellite downlink to receivers
• Continuous nationwide radio programming
• With terrestrial repeaters in urban areas
• Compact disc (CD) quality sound
• multichannel
• Opposed by NAB
• Providers
• XM Radio Sirius

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Technology

• 25 MHz in S band 2.3 GHz
• 2 multichannel operators
• 2320-2332.5 MHz (Sirius)
• 2332.5-2345 MHz (XM)
• complementary terrestrial repeaters
• to overcome effects of satellite signal blockage
  and multipath interference
• AM/FM/SAT receivers

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SDARS Spectrum

• 2.3 GHz band

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Earth Orbits
500-2,000 km
other orbits
8,000-20,000 km
Satellite Today
35,786 km 22,300 miles
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Orbits
GSO
NGSO
Low Earth Orbits Height 700-2000 km Rotation
Period 90 min. Time in LOS of earth station 15
min.
Medium Earth Orbits Height 8000-12000
km Rotation Period 5-12 hrs. Time in LOS of
earth station 2-4 hrs.
Geostationary Orbits Height35,780 km Rotation
Period 24 hrs. Time in LOS of earth station 24
hrs.
satellites in orbit - animated
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Satellites in Orbit
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Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO)

• Uses
• Communications (DBS, data)
• Advantages
• 1 orbit per siderial day (23h56m) (geostationary)
• wide coverage
• Disadvantages
• round trip latencies exceed .5 seconds
• weak coverage
• inadequate elevation angles at high latitudes
• Congestion
• no more orbital slots congestion in space
• last slot purchased by MCI in 1996 for 682
  million

XM (85oW 115oW)
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Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)

• Uses
• Cellular telephone communications
• GPS (global positioning system)
• Advantages
• antenna size and power are relatively modest and
  the latency is still small
• Disadvantages
• Proximity to Van Allen belt creates hazards to
  electronic systems

SIRIUS
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Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

• Uses
• Data-communications (Little LEO)
• Data-and-voice communications (Big LEO)
• Advantages
• Low power requirements
• Short propagation delays
• Disadvantages
• Greater no. of satellites needed for coverage
• Big LEO reqd to provide continuous service to US

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Initiating New Class of Sat. Svc.

• Petition for Rulemaking (See 47 CFR Part 25)
• Allocation of spectrum for specific service
• If no existing domesting allocation, FCC must
  seek allocation at an ITU World Radio Conference
• Adopted at 1992 World Administrative Radio
  Conference
• International Radio Regulation RR750B allocated
  the 2310-2360 MHz band for SDARS in the US
• If spectrum already allocated for particular
  service, FCC will simply accept applications for
  that service
• Rulemaking to Develop Service Rules
• legal, technical and financial requirements
• Assigning Licenses (See 47 CFR 25.406)

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Coordination w/ other Satellite Systems

• ITU coordination by FCC
• New Svcs added by World Radio Conferences
• 1992 World Administrative Radio Conference
  (WARC92)
• satellite requires greater coordination than
  terrestrial bcast
• ITU Home Page FCC Global Connect Page
• Negotiations w/ Canada Mexico to allocate
  frequencies
• nearly 200 Canadian terrestrial stations 2310 -
  2320 MHz
• Mexico Agreement
• NTIA coordination
• If frequences / slots interfere with govt
  operations
• Operator coordintation
• FCC typically not involved unless impasse

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License Allocation Assignment

• Allocation per ITU - WRC
• Assignment
• Satellite Licenses
• Competitive bidding for 2 licenses (1997 auction)
• Satellite CD Radio, Inc. (Sirius) - 83,346,000
• American Mobile Radio Corp (XM) - 89,888,888
• Earth Stations
• Fixed, Fixed Network, Temporary Fixed
• Mobile (i.e., hand-held and vehicle mounted)

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Public Interest Benefits of DARS

• Competition with local broadcast radio
• Undermines economic viability of broadcast radio
• radio bcast industry incredibly healthy can
  sustain a hit
• predictably leads to serious loss of important
  services to consumers (incl. potential loss of
  enhancements of broadcasting by the introduction
  of new technologies)
• DARS likely to be subscription based
• thus, not a threat to free radio (is this true?
  compare cable)
• wont draw advertising revenue from bcast
  (compare cable)
• Providing radio to underserved (rural) areas
• 9 of the U.S. population receives 5 or fewer FM
  stations
• Mobile reception
• Niche programming
• 20 or more channels per service

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Public Interest Obligations of DARS

• Staffing diversity applied
• Held unconstl in MD/DC/DE v. FCC (DC Cir. 2001)
• Political Access - both requirements apply
• 312(a)(7) (federal candidate advertising)
• 315 (equal opportunities provision)
• Public interest programming obligations
• DBS 4-7 capacity set-aside for noncommercial
  educational and informational programming
• DARS Not adopted
• Why not
• Why no other PIOs?