The Federal Communications Commission has dismissed a 2013 proceeding it initiated to investigate allegations that some fixed-satellite service (FSS) operators were: (1) “warehousing” satellite orbital locations and frequency assignments; and (2) foreclosing competitors from purchasing capacity on their satellites (vertical foreclosure). The Commission received reports of this behavior in several proceedings, and adopted a Notice of Inquiry seeking additional information so it could determine whether, and to what extent, this behavior occurred. Given the limits of the record and information on the issue, the Commission closed the proceeding with respect to vertical foreclosure. With respect to the warehousing issues, it concluded that the record did not provide a basis for taking further action at this time.
