[Satellite TODAY 01-14-10] The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted TerreStar Networks the authority to operate dual-mode mobile terminals that can be used to communicate either via TerreStar-1 or through its ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) base stations, the FCC announced Jan. 13.
    The FCC will allow TerreStar’s dual-mode terminals to use the 2000-2010 MHz frequency band for MSS uplinks and ATC mobile-to-base transmissions and the 2190-2200 MHz band for reception of MSS downlinks and ATC base-to-mobile transmissions. The Commission also adopted a requirement that ATC service offerings must be integrated with the provider’s MSS offerings.
    The importance of TerreStar’s ATC application was highlighted in an Oct. 12 e-mail from TerreStar Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Alexandra Field to Karl Kensinger, associate chief of the FCC’s satellite division. In the e-mail, Field told Kensinger that TerreStar might default on its TerreStar-2 satellite loans if the company did not receive an ATC license by Jan. 20. TerreStar secured loans in February 2008 for TerreStar-2 from EchoStar Corp., Harbinger Capital Partners Master Fund and Harbinger Capital Partners Special Situations Fund.
    In an interview with Satellite News, TerreStar General Counsel Doug Brandon said the company cleared a foreign ownership regulatory hurdle at the end of December, which previously had prevented the company from receiving the license.

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