Raul Magallanes

In an effort to increase broadband access on aircraft, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing to use Ku-band, on a secondary basis, for terrestrial-based air-to-ground mobile services. According […]

The U.S. federal government stands to benefit from proposed rules that would give it co-primary status in satellite spectrum shared with commercial users. Should recent rules proposed by the FCC […]

If Facebook asks “What’s on your mind?” and Twitter asks “What’s happening?” who will ask “Where are you?” Well, it turns out that there may be no need to ask […]

With the newly elected Mexican government in 2013 came a series of reforms in sectors such as education, energy, labor and telecommunications. The telecom reform proposed by the new President […]

Most things in this world require cooperation; and telecommunications services are no exception. A long chain of providers makes up the network of modern telecommunications service; each link of the […]

In-flight broadband services for commercial airliners and private aircraft just got a boost. In December, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an order implementing Ku-band rules for the operation […]

Internet filtering is such a growing practice among world nations that the question today is not whether countries filter the Internet, but to what extent. Satellite links often provide connectivity […]

The Internet is about to change dramatically. This is because the number of top-level-domains, the letters that come after the dot, will increase significantly. Until now, only 22 generic top-level […]

This year marks fifty years since the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed its first satellite in 1962. Satellites, and satellite rules, have greatly evolved since then. The satellite industry […]

Think about your domain name; perhaps Intelsat.com, Iridium.com, Viasat.com, or Eutelsat.com. What does it mean and how much is it worth? How does it relate to your name brand? What […]

Universal Service is intended to ensure availability of affordable telecommunications services across an entire country. Telecoms operators in competitive markets are obligated to provide universal service and to contribute to […]

When telecoms companies capture large portions of the market, supplementary regulatory intervention is appropriate. This is the case when companies achieve Significant Market Power (SMP), which might be equated to […]

Across telecommunications markets, harmonization is a subsequent and natural necessary step to liberalization. While liberalization opens markets, harmonization encourages competition by removing trade barriers. The satellite industry, being global by […]

When Internet telephony came on the scene in the 1990s, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did not give it a regulatory classification. Today that is still the case. From […]

The Internet has transformed the way legal transactions are conducted. What used to be a paper contract with dotted lines for signatures has been replaced with a hyperlink buried in […]

How many times did you sign a document this week? Surprisingly, in most cases, a signature is not required, not even for a contract. Satellite communications, by interconnecting continents, have […]

The U.S. Constitution protects people from unreasonable government searches, but does it prohibit the government from using GPS technology, without a warrant, to track people’s movements? We are reminded that […]

  In satellite communications, when the clocks of two earth stations fall far enough out of synchronization, a slip error occurs and a chunk of information is discarded. Much like […]

Post-conflict governments in war-torn areas often make it a priority to rebuild their telecommunications networks. This is because it is difficult to advance other rebuilding efforts, such as restoring order […]

Global telecommunications services generate $1.5 trillion per year representing an economic force to be reckoned with; and the World Trade Organization (WTO) is at the center of it. The various […]

Fallen defunct satellites seem to be in fashion these days, including NASA’s decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) that impacted earth late September. While much was speculated about the potential […]

The European Data Protection Directive (Directive) prohibits transfers of personal data to non-European Union (EU) nations. While the EU and the United States share the same goal of enhancing privacy […]

The technological developments of recent decades have moved companies into an information-based era. Because of this, personal data represents a new type of raw material for their services and, at […]

Following last month’s discussion on spectrum leasing, this month’s topic focuses on license assignment options. The spectrum lease license holder keeps title to the license, but allows others to use […]

There are financial ramifications for buying a larger house than needed; such as proportionally larger maintenance, tax and insurance bills. However, one way to lessen the financial sting is to […]

We all would like to believe that customers will be delighted with our telecommunications services and that there will never be disagreements between telecommunications partners. But in reality, there will […]

We all are familiar with the VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) network, which encompasses a hub and multiple, identical remote stations. VSAT licenses in Ku-band have been used for a […]

Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) carriers that provide interconnected, two-way voice services must be fully equipped to handle 911 emergency calls. This means that providers must establish call centers to receive […]

When prime real estate is too expensive or unavailable, the natural tendency is to look for reasonable alternatives. This same dynamic applies to space segment in satellite communications. Ku-band is […]

Government eavesdropping on private communications is as old as government itself. Telecommunications providers are but an instrument for government wiretapping. As blunt as this may sound and regardless of whether […]