FCC Streamlines
Licensing Rules For Many Satellite Operators
November 18, 2020
The Federal Communications
Commission adopted changes to streamline its
satellite licensing process and increase
operational flexibility for satellite operators.
With the creation of a new satellite
licensing framework and the elimination of
unnecessary paperwork, the FCC continues to make
the regulatory approval process for satellite
licenses more efficient and less burdensome.
With today’s Report and
Order, the FCC establishes a new, optional
unified licensing framework.
Under its current rules, the FCC issues separate
licenses for earth stations and space stations
in a satellite system based on the different
application requirements that govern satellite
services. But with the
adoption of the optional unified licensing
framework, available to systems operating above
10 GHz, space stations and blanket-licensed
earth stations in a satellite system will be
able to be authorized under a single license.
This licensing framework will eliminate
redundancies in the separate licensing processes
for space stations and earth stations and
accelerate the deployment of new earth stations
and, in turn, services to the public.
As an additional
streamlining measure, earth station applicants
may certify that they will comply with the
relevant terms and conditions of the license for
the space station with which the earth station
will communicate, in lieu of providing redundant
technical demonstrations or other information.
This measure will afford the benefits of
streamlining to independent earth station
operators.
The Report and Order also
aligns the build-out periods for qualifying
earth stations with the accompanying build-out
periods for their communicating satellites.
This alignment offers satellite operators
greater certainty about the location of their
gateway earth stations earlier in the satellite
design process. In addition,
the Report and Order eliminates unnecessary
reporting requirements for satellite operators
and requirements to notify the FCC of certain
minor changes to earth stations.
Action by the Commission
November 18, 2020 by Report and Order (FCC
20-159). Chairman Pai,
Commissioners O’Rielly, Carr, Rosenworcel, and
Starks approving. Chairman
Pai issuing a separate statement.