Why It Matters
The rapid growth of mega‑constellations and new space services is reshaping how Americans access broadband and emergency communications, making spectrum policy critical for both consumer connectivity and national safety. Understanding the FCC’s approach helps industry players and the public anticipate how future regulations will enable—or limit—innovations like direct‑to‑device satellite links and lunar commerce.
Key Takeaways
- •FCC Space Bureau launched 2023 to focus on satellite communications.
- •Licensing applications rose 217%; LEO constellations now dominate.
- •FCC proposes over 20,000 MHz new spectrum for space use.
- •Regulators aim flexible rules to keep pace with rapid tech.
- •FCC extends spectrum licensing to non‑communication “weird” space missions.
Pulse Analysis
The FCC Space Bureau, created in April 2023, consolidates the commission’s growing focus on satellite communications. Within three years, licensing demand has surged 217%, driven by a dramatic shift from traditional geostationary (GEO) filings to low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) constellations that now represent roughly 80% of applications. This surge reflects the broader commercial space economy’s rapid expansion, as companies launch massive satellite networks to deliver broadband, aviation connectivity, and emerging lunar missions. By centralizing spectrum licensing, the Bureau provides the speed and predictability needed for innovators to scale.
Spectrum scarcity is a central challenge, prompting the FCC’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking that would open more than 20,000 MHz across four new bands—including the upper 12 GHz, 41‑42 GHz, and the high‑frequency W‑band above 95 GHz. These allocations aim to accommodate the massive data throughput required for rural broadband, 300 Mbps in‑flight Wi‑Fi, and future direct‑to‑device services. The rulemaking process invites industry comment, ensuring that the new frequencies support both current mega‑constellations and the next wave of space‑based applications. By expanding the spectrum pool, the FCC seeks to sustain the commercial space sector’s momentum while safeguarding the public‑interest mandate of reliable communications.
To avoid regulatory lag, the Bureau is exploring flexible frameworks that focus on performance outcomes rather than prescriptive technology specifications. This approach encourages private negotiation, adapts to rapid innovation cycles, and aligns with international coordination through the NTIA. Additionally, the FCC’s longstanding orbital‑debris rules—originating in 2004—ensure that licensed spacecraft maintain safe collision‑avoidance practices, extending the agency’s mandate beyond pure communications. The recent “weird space stuff” initiative illustrates how non‑communication missions, such as lunar research or in‑space manufacturing, now require telemetry spectrum, prompting the FCC to broaden its licensing scope while staying within its statutory limits. Together, these efforts position the FCC as a pivotal enabler of a resilient, future‑proof space infrastructure.
Episode Description
At its March meeting, the FCC unanimously approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comments on a proposal to make additional spectrum available for command and control of spacecraft supporting emergent space operations, but which do not use spectrum as part of any radiocommunications services provided to the public. The NPRM was dubbed “Weird Space Stuff” by the commission.
On this edition of The Journal of Space Commerce podcast, Tom Patton talks with FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwartz about the proposal, as well as some of the history and the broader range of functions carried out by the Space Bureau.
Schwartz said that the number of applications that have been submitted to the FCC for spectrum authorization has increased by more than 200 percent over the past decade, and that is just a part of the story.
“There’s also been a significant change in the types of applications in terms of the complexity that we’ve gotten. So a decade ago, about 80% of the applications were geostationary applications, relatively straightforward to license. And typically you’re dealing with just one satellite, right? What we’re seeing today is we’re seeing that flipped and something on the order of about 80% are your NGSO or your LEO constellations,” Schwartz said. “So more complex, larger, obviously, in terms of the number of satellites, more complex interference environments. And then actually, we’re also getting a number of things, we might touch on this a little bit later, that don’t even fall into that traditional NGSO or GSO category. So we’ve licensed a few commercial lunar missions, for instance, and I think we’ll continue to see more and more of those type of emerging space activities.”
The “Weird Space Stuff” NPRM will be open for comments after it is published in the Federal Register.
The Journal of Space Commerce podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other popular podcasting platforms as well as here on Substack.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.exterrajsc.com/subscribe
Comments
Want to join the conversation?
Loading comments...