PARIS — The president of satellite fleet operator ABS continued his efforts to rally other operators of geostationary-orbit satellites against OneWeb Ltd., the startup planning a fleet of 720 satellites in low Earth orbit to provide Ku-band broadband services worldwide.
Thomas Choi asserts that OneWeb may have the best intentions but will nonetheless interfere with the Ku-band satellites in geostationary orbit, especially around the equator. Speaking Oct. 27 at the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) convention in Hong Kong, Choi presented his company’s latest technical assessment (reproduced below).
Luxembourg-based SES endorsed Choi’s findings.
“We also have been looking at the analysis and at this point we are extremely concerned about the interference scenario,” said Deepak Mathur, SES senior vice president for the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
SES is the principal owner of O3b, a constellation of Ka-band broadband satellites in medium-Earth orbit that faced similar interference concerns before it was launched.
“Not all the NGSO [non-geostationary-orbit systems] are the same,” Mathur said. “O3b has proven it is operating without interference with existing geostationary systems. But we indeed have an absolute concern relating to OneWeb.”
OneWeb has said repeatedly it will abide by the non-interference requirements of its operating license.
