The FCC has received applications for 64,000 new satellites, said Chairwoman Rosenworcel
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is reorganizing to better support the growing satellite industry by transforming the International Bureau into two entities: The Space Bureau and a standalone Office of International Affairs. According to the Commission, the separation of satellite policy from international policy “acknowledges the role of satellite communications in advancing domestic communications policy and achieving U.S. broadband goals.”
In a press statement, FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel shared that the agency has received applications for 64,000 new satellites, indicating just how much the sector is booming. It is true that the likes of SpaceX, Starlink and even the top tier carriers are ushering in a new era of satellite connectivity. As of last February, SpaceX, for instance, had around 2,000 satellites in its network, with plans to launch thousands more, potentially blanketing the planet in coverage. Currently, the FCC has granted SpaceX permission to launch up to 12,000 satellites.
“The satellite industry is growing at a record pace, but here on the ground our regulatory frameworks for licensing them have not kept up,” Rosenworcel said. “We are seeing new commercial models, new players, and new technologies coming together to pioneer a wide-range of new satellite services and space-based activities that need access to wireless airwaves.”
The reorganization, she continued, will “ensure that the agency’s resources are appropriately aligned to fulfill its statutory obligations, improve its coordination across the federal government, and support the 21st century satellite industry.”
The Commission licenses radio frequency uses by satellites and ensures that space systems reviewed by the agency have sufficient plans to mitigate orbital debris under the authority of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. By establishing a stand-alone Space Bureau the agency aims to better fulfill its statutory obligations and elevate the significance of satellite programs and policy within the agency to a level that reflects the importance of the emerging space economy.
While the Space Bureau will support advancing and improving space-based communication, the new standalone Office of International Affairs will deal exclusively with matters of international communications regulation and licensing. “Additionally, this structure emulates the successful models of offices such as Office of Engineering and Technology, and Office of General Counsel that allows for consistent expertise to be leveraged across all the Bureaus with a nexus to international affairs,” stated the FCC.
