Eutelsat withdraws from C-Band Alliance
September 3, 2019 10.20 Europe/London By Robert Briel
[UPDATE] In a surprise move, Eutelsat has announced its withdrawal from the C-Band Alliance (“CBA”). The members have been formally notified about the decision today.
Eutelsat wishes to take a direct active part in the discussions on C-band clearing and repurposing, according to a brief statement by the satellite operator.
Asked for a clarification, Eutelsat spokesperson Marie-Sophie Ecuer, said “Eutelsat was not aligned with other members and the CBA leadership team on certain matters. In this context, leaving the CBA is the best way to have a direct involvement and to represent the interests of Eutelsat and its stakeholders in this C-band process and in the C-band process. We cannot be more specific.”
The CBA is an organisation tasked with the clearing and repurposing of C-band spectrum to make a portion of this band available for 5G services in the United States. It was founded last October by satellite operators Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat and Telecast.
Eutelsat is one of four satellite operators that could gain a windfall from the sale of some C-band spectrum in the United States.
During a July 31 earnings call, Eutelsat CEO Rodolphe Belmer said the C-Band Alliance has not reached an agreement on a voluntary contribution to the US Treasury if the FCC chooses its spectrum plan. Belmer said the C-Band Alliance also lacks internal consensus on the details of a voluntary contribution to the US Treasury from a spectrum sale.
“There is no real agreement and alignment on that question within the CBA, contrary to what has been said in some instances recently,” Belmer said.