Press Release

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 today adopted a Report and Order that:

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 proposed to further simplify and streamline its rules governing satellite communications. One significant proposal is to create a new unified license for space stations and earth stations operating in a geostationary orbit, fixed-satellite service network. The proposed unified network license would eliminate redundancies in the separate licensing processes for satellites and earth stations.

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 initiated a comprehensive review of its orbital debris mitigation rules. Orbital debris, also known as space debris, consists of a variety of objects, including non-functional satellites, that are orbiting the Earth. Debris can pose a risk to operations in Earth orbit, including satellites and manned spacecraft, and in some instances, pieces of debris falling back to Earth can pose a risk to persons and property on the surface of the Earth.

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.

Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced that the US Department of Agriculture is investing in infrastructure projects in a dozen states to improve e-Connectivity in rural communities. USDA is investing $91 million through the Telecommunications Programs. The 19 projects will benefit more than 27,000 businesses and households in AR, GA, IA, KY, MN, NC, ND, NM, OK, TN, UT, and VA. Examples of the projects in which USDA is investing:

Staff of the Federal Trade Commission called for a balanced approach that protects both consumer privacy and innovation in a comment submitted to the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as part of that agency’s consumer privacy proceeding. FTC staff noted the FTC's extensive experience in protecting consumer privacy and fostering innovation. The FTC is uniquely situated to balance consumers’ interests in privacy, innovation, and competition, according to the comment.

The Department of Justice announced that it has reached a settlement with six broadcast television companies — Sinclair, Raycom Media, Tribune Media Company, Meredith Corporation, Griffin Communications, and Dreamcatcher Broadcasting — to resolve a DOJ lawsuit alleging that the companies engaged in unlawful agreements to share non-public competitively sensitive information with their broadcast television competitors. “The unlawful exchange of competitively sensitive information allowed these television broadcast companies to disrupt the normal competitive process of spot advertising in mark