On Wednesday, the
FCC adopted a Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would streamline licensing procedures for small
satellites. This proposal would expedite the application
process and reduce fees for deploying small satellites, which have relatively short duration
missions compared to large satellites and therefore should not be regulated in
the same manner. The proposal also identifies a variety of frequency bands that
are useful for small satellite operations.
It is commendable
that the Commission is taking a nuanced approach to reducing the barriers to satellite broadband deployment by specifically identifying how different sized
satellites require different regulations and frequency bands. As Free State
Foundation Senior Fellow Seth Cooper stated in a March
2018 blog, satellite broadband will enhance competition and help reach new
consumers, which is why it is important that the FCC continue to reduce
regulatory barriers that stand in the way. And I discussed in a March 2018 Perspectives
from FSF Scholars how the increasing capabilities of satellite broadband
have enabled it to become a viable alternative for residential broadband in
rural areas and could be an important technology for closing the gap of the
digital divide.
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