FCC’s International Bureau will split into a Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs
The Federal Communications Commission will officially launch its Space Bureau tomorrow, reflecting the agency’s reorganization to deal with increased interest in satellite-based communications.
Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed the reorganization late last year and the Commission unanimously approved it in January. The change splits the International Bureau into two “separate, cooperative units” within the FCC: The Space Bureau, which will focus on “policy and licensing matters related to satellite and space-based communications and activities”, and Office of International Affairs (OIA), which will coordinate FCC work with foreign and international regulatory authorities.
The FCC has already received applications for 64,000 new satellites, indicating just how much the sector is booming—particularly in the area of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In the coming years, tighter integration between 5G terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks is expected to emerge. Early use cases for smartphone-based satellite connectivity are already in play, such as T-Mobile US’ deal with Starlink to share spectrum and provide ubiquitous text message communications, expected by the end of this year, and Apple’s emergency SMS connectivity available in the iPhone 14 via service with GlobalStar’s LEO network. In January, Qualcomm also announced its Snapdragon Satellite, a 5G modem-RF system which is designed to provide global, two-way messaging capabilities for smartphones via L-band spectrum for uplink and downlink, provided by the Iridium satellite constellation.
“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 has 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 will be complete upon publication in the Federal Register. The FCC is holding a kick off event at its headquarters tomorrow, which will be livestreamed.
