FCC Makes
Changes to Satellite Application Processing FCC Makes Changes
to Satellite Application Processing By Rachel Jewett | September 21, 2023 FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrintShare Federal Communications Commission seal. Photo: Creative Commons license/jeanbaptisteparis via Flickr The FCC adopted
new rules on Thursday that it says will speed up processing for space and
earth station applications. FCC Chairwoman said in a statement that the FCC
currently has applications pending for more than 56,000 satellites — double
the number of applications it had four years ago. These new rules will help
the commission deal with the number of applications. The
FCC has not yet released the final Report and Order, but announced that the
new rules allow Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) license holders the
flexibility to have more than one unbuilt system without their applications
being dismissed. This
was an issue that a number of satellite operators weighed in on during public
comment, including SpaceX, Amazon, OneWeb, Iridium, and Viasat. In
a recent filing to the FCC, SpaceX argued
that this rule change “will facilitate additional innovation and equitable
participation in processing rounds without increasing the risk of speculative
applications.” SpaceX advised the FCC to seek further comment on how to
reform its unbuilt system rule for applications filed within a single
processing round, arguing that applicants may have legitimate reasons to
apply for separate systems within a single processing round.
Viasat
and Iridium argued against eliminating the rule, arguing that speculative
applications could ‘warehouse’ orbital resources. Amazon
called for the FCC to “soften” the rule: “Softening and taking a pragmatic
approach to the rule without eliminating it would encourage innovation and
deployment, improve the licensing process, and preserve the integrity of the
processing round approach without inviting speculative applications,” in
a recent filing. The
new rules approved Thursday also establish timeframes for placing space and
earth station applications on notice for public comment, permits applicants
to apply for authority to operate in frequencies in bands where there is not
an international allocation for satellite services, and and streamlines how
the commission processes earth station operators’ requests to add space
stations as points of communication. The
FCC is still seeking comment on a number of issues including printing and
maintaining a paper copy of a license, and establishing time frames or “shot
clocks.” Rosenworcel
said this move is part of a “new era” in how the FCC deals with the satellite
industry to encourage innovation. The FCC’s Space Bureau is also establishing
a transparency initiative with FAQs and workshops to give more applicants
information to help them file. “It
is a new era so we eliminate old rules that no longer meet the moment and
establish clear timeframes for placing space and earth station applications
on public notice. This makes our process easier to understand for
existing players and new entrants alike,” Rosenworcel said. Thursday’s
decision came from the FCC after it opened this issue in December 2022. |
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Space: FCC Makes Changes to Satellite Application Processing. September 21, 2023
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