Via Satellite archive illustration

The FCC will consider an order that would streamline processes for space stations and earth stations at its August 7 open meeting. 

The FCC said these changes will clear regulatory barriers for ground-station-as-a-service (GSaaS) providers. GSaaS is a business model where a company coordinates ground station access for multiple customers sharing the same antennas. 

The order has not yet been released, but the FCC said that if adopted, it could eliminate 49% of earth station modification applications by establishing a new process for ground station operators to receive a baseline license without first identifying a specific satellite point of communication.

The reforms would also expand the list of license modifications that do not require prior authorization, adopt a 30-day shot clock for earth station renewal applications, and eliminate certain requests for special temporary authority for Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites. 

“With this proposed decision, the FCC can streamline processes and accelerate the development of innovative new services. Clearing out regulatory barriers will empower new competitors and innovations in space, particularly the kind of neutral-host infrastructure that has proven so successful in the wireless industry,”  Carr said in a statement.