November 2018

The Federal Communications Commission approved the requests of four companies—Space Exploration Holdings, LLC (SpaceX), Kepler Communications, Inc. (Kepler), Telesat Canada (Telesat), and LeoSat MA, Inc. (LeoSat)— seeking to roll-out new and expanded services using proposed non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellites. These proposed satellite systems are expected to enable fixed-satellite service in the United States. The FCC approved:

The Federal Communications Commission will allow cable operators to deliver notices to their customers via email. Rules require that electronic messages are sent only to verified email addresses and that subscribers can still opt for paper delivery at any time. The FCC also adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on whether subscribers should have the option to receive notices through other electronic means such as texts or apps.

The Federal Communications Commission took steps to facilitate the continued deployment of earth stations used to provide satellite-based services on ships, airplanes, and vehicles by advancing proposals to create a regulatory framework for non-geostationary orbit satellites (NGSOs) to communicate with these earth stations. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on a regulatory framework that would expand the FCC's rules for Earth Stations in Motion (ESIMs) to cover communications with NGSO satellites operating in the fixed-satellite service (FSS) and would be similar to the regime

The Federal Communications Commission granted in part the European Commission’s request for a waiver of the FCC’s rules so that non-Federal devices in the United States may access specific signals transmitted from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) known as Galileo. The Order does not grant access to the Galileo E6 signal, which is transmitted over the 1260- 1300 MHz frequency band, since this band is not allocated for RNSS in the United States or used by the US GPS to provide PNT services. The FCC noted that granting access to the Galileo E6 signal could constrain U.S.