FCC to Consider Changes to Satellite Rulemaking This Week

Federal Communications Commission. Photo: FCC

The FCC is considering making changes to satellite rulemaking at its open meeting this week. Ahead of the December meeting, the Commission released a notice of proposed rulemaking called: Expediting Initial Processing of Satellite and Earth Station Applications. 

It seeks comment on changes to its policies that deal with applications for satellite systems and Earth stations, as there are an “unprecedented” number of such applications. 

“As the Commission experiences increasing satellite licensing activity we must keep pace with demand and reassess our processes to identify opportunities for streamlining. We tentatively conclude that it is in the public interest to move quickly on license application processing and specifically to begin building a public record on applications early in the process of evaluating them,” the notice states. 

The FCC will consider the changes at its open meeting on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ET.

The FCC is going through changes to support the rapidly developing commercial satellite industry. In November, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed reorganizing the FCC, to create a Space Bureau by splitting the International Bureau, which currently handles international telecommunications and satellite programs and policies.