The direct-broadcast satellite industry said Tuesday that it welcomed a
report issued by the Federal Communications Commission following tests into
whether a terrestrial video service from Northpoint Technology Ltd. would cause
interference to DBS companies DirecTV Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp.
According to a Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association press
release, tests conducted by The MITRE Corp. concluded that Northpoint's proposed
spectrum-sharing service 'poses a significant interference threat' to DBS.
In its press release, Northpoint had its own spin on the report, claiming
that the study showed that Northpoint had successfully completed the required
independent testing.
'The MITRE report confirms every technical filing that Northpoint has made at
the FCC about sharing with DBS,' said Sophia Collier, president of Northpoint
parent Broadwave USA Inc., in a press release.
'The satellite-TV providers and the SBCA have claimed from the outset that
Northpoint's proposed terrestrial service would cause harmful interference to
DBS signals, and the independent tests conducted by MITRE have unequivocally
validated our conclusion,' SBCA president Chuck Hewitt said in a press
release.
