Dish Network 2006 Annual Report Download - page 24

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14
We also hold licenses or have entered into agreements to lease capacity on satellites at the following FSS orbital
locations including:
• 500 MHz of Ku spectrum divided into 32 frequencies at the 121 degree orbital location, capable of
providing service to CONUS, plus 500 MHz of Ka spectrum at the 121 degree orbital location
capable of providing service into select spot beams;
• 500 MHz of Ku spectrum currently divided into 24 frequencies at the 118.7 degree orbital
location, capable of providing service to CONUS, Alaska and Hawaii.
• 500 MHz of Ku spectrum divided into 24 frequencies at the 105 degree orbital location, currently
capable of providing service to CONUS, Alaska and Hawaii, plus approximately 720 MHz of Ka
spectrum capable of providing service through spot beams to CONUS, Alaska and Hawaii; and
• 500 MHz of Ku spectrum divided into 24 frequencies at the 85 degree orbital location, currently
capable of providing service to CONUS, plus approximately 720 MHz of Ka spectrum capable of
providing service through spot beams to CONUS.
We currently broadcast the majority of our programming from the 110 and 119 degree orbital locations. Almost all
of our customers have satellite receiver systems that are equipped to receive signals from both of these locations.
We also sublease six transponders (corresponding to six frequencies) at the 61.5 degree orbital location from
licensee Dominion Video Satellite, Inc. (“Dominion”). We are currently operating on the two remaining unassigned
frequencies at that location under a conditional special temporary authorization. We recently renewed that STA for
60 days. While there can be no assurance, we believe the FCC will continue to renew this STA periodically for the
foreseeable future.
Duration of our DBS Satellite Licenses. Generally speaking, all of our satellite licenses are subject to expiration
unless renewed by the FCC. The term of each of our DBS licenses is 10 years. Two of our licenses were due to
expire in November 2006 and we have timely requested their renewal. Our other licenses are currently set to expire
at various times. In addition, our special temporary authorizations are granted for periods of only 180 days or less,
subject again to possible renewal by the FCC.
Opposition and other Risks to our Licenses. Several third parties have opposed, and we expect them to continue to
oppose, some of our FCC satellite authorizations and pending requests to the FCC for extensions, modifications,
waivers and approvals of our licenses. In addition, we may not have fully complied with all of the FCC reporting
and filing requirements in connection with our satellite authorizations. Consequently, it is possible the FCC could
revoke, terminate, condition or decline to extend or renew certain of our authorizations or licenses.
Our FSS Licenses. In addition to our DBS licenses and authorizations, we have received conditional licenses from
the FCC to operate FSS satellites in the Ka-band, the Ku-band and the extended Ku-band, including licenses to
operate EchoStar IX (a hybrid Ka/Ku-band satellite) at the 121 degree orbital location. In addition, EchoStar holds
Ka-band licenses at the 97 and 113 degree orbital locations, an extended Ku-band license at the 109 degree orbital
location and a hybrid extended Ku/Ka-band license at the 121 degree orbital location. Use of these licenses and
conditional authorizations is subject to certain technical and due diligence requirements, including the requirement
to construct and launch satellites according to specific milestones and deadlines. Our projects to construct and
launch Ku-band, extended Ku-band and Ka-band satellites are in various stages of development.
Risks to our FSS Authorizations. With respect to our Ka-band licenses at the 97 and 113 degrees orbital locations,
the FCC requires construction, launch and operation of the satellites to be completed by December 2008 and October
2009, respectively. Moreover, ITU deadlines require Ka-band satellites to be operating at the 97 and 113 degree orbital
locations by June and May of 2007, respectively. For our extended Ku-band license at the 109 degree orbital location
and our hybrid extended Ku/Ka-band license at the 121 degree orbital location, the FCC requires construction, launch
and operation of the satellites to be completed by September 2009. We are also subject to intermediate construction