The Federal Communications Commission has approved new rules to accelerate its processing of satellite and Earth station applications to keep pace with the increasing needs of the commercial space industry.
The commission said Thursday the report and order sets timeframes for issuing public comment notices for such applications and allows applicants to seek authority to operate in frequencies within bands where there are no international frequency allocations.
According to the R&O document, the rules also seek to expedite the processing of requests to add Earth stations as points of communication and offer flexibility for operators to have more than one unbuilt non-geostationary orbit system without facing the risk of seeing their applications dismissed.
“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,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
“This makes our process easier to understand for existing players and new entrants alike,” added Rosenworcel.
According to the FCC, the adoption of the rules marks the latest effort in advancing the commission’s Space Innovation agenda and provides the foundation for the Space Bureau’s Transparency Initiative, which intends to mitigate administrative burden by providing potential applicants with information and guidance to help them prepare as they work toward authorizations for their satellites and Earth stations.
The commission noted that it will continue to gather public feedback on proposals meant to streamline the processing of applications, such as eliminating the task of printing and keeping a paper copy of a license and changing the default status of such applications from “restricted” to “permit-but-disclose” proceedings.