FCC Chairman Brendan Carr summarized some of the early wins the Commission has delivered for America’s space industry at this week’s Satellite Conference & Exhibition. Chief among those was enabling faster and more robust direct-to-cell service by allowing providers to operate on spectrum at higher power levels.
Carr also announced three north stars that will guide the FCC’s work to extend U.S. leadership in space—speed, simplification, and spectrum. “America’s space economy is the envy of the world,” Carr said. “From expanding connectivity, to strengthening national security, our space industry is delivering real results for the country. For my part, I want America’s satellite operators and space launch teams to know that the FCC will prioritize your work and partner with you to find solutions,” he added.
Carr specified he would “ensure you have the spectrum resources necessary to fuel this sector’s growth. These pillars will make America the most attractive country in the world to launch a space business.”
Carr has prioritized America’s space economy and delivered an initial set of what he called “early wins” for the sector:
- Granted 33 space station and 200 ground station applications since January 20.
- Streamlined the FCC’s process for approving earth station siting requests to reduce burdens on satellite companies and ensure the agency can move faster.
- Simplified the FCC’s review of special earth station applications to efficiently clear backlogs, eliminate paperwork, and accelerate approvals, including through a grant stamp process.
- Approved a demonstration of live video calls between mobile devices using a satellite network.
- Circulated for Commission vote a Notice of Inquiry that can bolster the U.S. GPS system by exploring satellite and terrestrial technologies that can complement the service.
- Eliminating the FCC’s slow, resource intensive, and bespoke review mechanisms by starting the process of standardizing the agency’s review and approval procedures through objective metrics.
The Satellite 2025 Conference & Exhibition runs through March 13, in Washington, D.C.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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