Dish Network 2003 Annual Report Download - page 19

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14
In order to obtain FCC satellite licenses and authorizations, communication satellite operators must satisfy strict
legal, technical and financial qualification requirements. Once issued, these licenses and authorizations are subject
to a number of conditions including, among other things, satisfaction of ongoing due diligence obligations,
construction milestones, and various reporting requirements.
Our Basic DBS Frequency Licenses and Authorizations. Most of our programming is transmitted to our
customers on frequencies in the 12.2 to 12.7 GHz range, which we refer to as the “DBS” frequencies. We are
licensed or authorized by the FCC to operate DBS frequencies at the following orbital locations:
• 11 frequencies at the 61.5 degree orbital location;
• 29 frequencies at the 110 degree orbital location;
• 21 frequencies at the 119 degree orbital location;
• 32 frequencies at the 148 degree orbital location; and
• 3 frequencies at the 157 degree orbital location.
We also sublease six transponders (corresponding to six frequencies) at the 61.5 degree orbital location from
licensee Dominion Video Satellite, Inc.
Our Satellites. We currently own and operate eight DBS satellites (EchoStar I through EchoStar VIII) and one
Fixed-Satellite Service (“FSS”) Ku/Ka-band satellite (EchoStar IX). Our satellites operate at the following orbital
locations:
• EchoStar V and EchoStar VII operate at the 119 degree orbital location;
• EchoStar VI and EchoStar VIII operate at the 110 degree orbital location;
• EchoStar III operates at the 61.5 degree orbital location;
• EchoStar I and II operate at the 148 degree orbital location;
• EchoStar IV operates at the 157 degree orbital location;
• EchoStar IX operates at the 121 degree orbital location.
EchoStar IV is not equipped to operate on all three of our licensed frequencies at the 157 degree orbital location. It
is therefore currently operating on a different three-channel configuration at that location under a Special Temporary
Authority (“STA”). The STA expired on February 15, 2004. While we have requested both an extension of the
STA and a modification of our license to permit that configuration, we cannot be sure that the FCC will grant these
requests.
Duration of our Satellite Licenses and Authorizations. Generally speaking, all of our satellite licenses are subject
to expiration unless renewed by the FCC. While under a recent FCC rulemaking the term of certain satellite
licenses has been extended from 10 to 15 years, the term of DBS licenses remains at 10 years; our licenses are
currently set to expire at various times starting as early as 2006. In addition, our special temporary authorizations
are granted for periods of only 180 days or less, subject again to possible renewal by the FCC.