The Federal Communications Commission has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking as part of efforts to streamline its process for reviewing earth station and satellite applications.
FCC said Wednesday it will solicit feedback on a plan to allow licensees to apply for more than one unbuilt non-geostationary satellite in a given frequency band. They will also field comments on timelines for assessment of applications and how to handle omissions and inconsistencies in applications.
The commission has proposed to allow the consideration of satellite applications requesting to waive the Table of Frequency Allocations to facilitate operations in a frequency band without an international allocation.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the proposed rulemaking seeks to speed up the process of putting earth station and satellite applications on public notice and that the commission wants input on rule changes that would reduce the need for waivers that complicate the review process.
“This is just one part of the licensing process, but it matters. Because keeping our rules and our structures at this agency current is how we can support the United States leadership in the growing space economy,” Rosenworcel added.
The proceeding is part of the commission’s Space Innovation agenda. In November, Rosenworcel announced plans to establish a space bureau to meet the needs of the satellite industry.
