By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers is warning Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) that if the department forces direct-to-home satellite broadcasting services (DTH) off the extended Ku (xKu) band, then its ability to provide broadcasting services to rural and remote communities will be negatively impacted.
Rogers, through its Shaw Direct brand, uses a direct-to-home satellite broadcasting service (DTH) that is powered by Telesat’s Anik G1 satellite using the xKu band in the 11 Ghz frequency, which also allows the cable giant to deliver services to third-party broadcasters, who also service these remote areas.
But there’s a problem: as a condition of Telesat’s licence to use the xKu, the department forbade it from continuing to carry DTH services after January 1, 2028. In December, Telesat requested the condition be extended to November 2039 to align with the end-of-life of the Anik G1 satellite.
Five days later, ISED placed a temporary moratorium on the licensing of new point-to-point links in parts of the 11 GHz bands until a decision is made on Telesat’s request. It asked for comments about Telesat’s request, as well as views on the “potential for coexistence between DTH and fixed systems” in two 125 MHz band segments: 11.075-11.2 GHz and 11.575-11.7 GHz.
“If continued use of the xKu band for DTH past the current December 31, 2027 date is denied, the use of an alternative band to continue delivery of the service would carry performance risks for DTH, such that Shaw Direct customers’ access to their services could be materially and negatively impacted,” Rogers said in its submission backing Telesat’s request, dated January 30.
Beside technical issues related to reduced service quality and coverage, Rogers says Shaw clients, including indigenous-language and multicultural broadcasters, would need to divert limited resources and invest in new equipment to receive signals from a different band.
“Many of these smaller undertakings would be challenged to mitigate the costs of converting equipment to access their relay, transport and downlink services, as the case may be, on a new band,” Rogers says. “They have already made significant investments, frequently in the context of limited financial resources to move to and access xKu on Anik G1 – costs that may not yet have been fully recouped. Should the DTH extension not be provided, these undertakings would … incur additional costs to invest in moving to the Ku band on the satellite.”
ISED made the original decision to transition the spectrum in 2010, when it opened the two 11 GHz segments to DTH until January 1, 2028. Shaw Direct said at the time that it required new capacity to “augment its existing services, to introduce new programming such as high definition television, and to remain competitive vis-à-vis other broadcasting distribution undertakings,” according to the language in the Canada Gazette at the time.
At the same time, wireless service providers under the fixed service (FS) banner were seeking spectrum for the growth of their data applications, the deployment of 3G/AWS, and future wireless mobile systems, according to ISED.
As part of the 2010 decision, ISED said it would not license new FS systems in these segments until January 1, 2026. After this date, it would “make every effort to place new terrestrial links in other portions of the band or in other bands until January 1, 2028,” it said back then.
“After January 1, 2028, DTH services will no longer be permitted in the bands … and any DTH use in Canada will have migrated out of these bands,” it added at the time.
Rogers said in its submission that it believes DTH and FS services can and should coexist in the xKu band beyond 2027.
“As one of the largest commercial fixed service operators in Canada, Rogers has extensive experience operating microwave wireless backhaul in bands that coexist with fixed/broadcast satellite services. We also have highlighted the need for additional fixed spectrum to be made available to support the continued growth of current mobile networks and next generation 5G Advanced and 6G networks in a number of ISED spectrum consultations.”
Photo via Telesat
