As we reported last week, the FCC adopted its Report and Order establishing the annual regulatory fees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Today, the FCC released a Public Notice announcing that those regulatory fees must be paid no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, on September 24, 2026. In a second Public Notice, the […]
Yesterday, the FCC released its Report and Order adopting a schedule of regulatory fees to cover the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2026 salaries and expenses appropriation of $416,112,000.00. The Order largely follows the approach set out in the FCC’s April 2026 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”), continuing the full-time employee (“FTE”)-based methodology the FCC has used […]
This advisory is directed to television stations with locally-produced programming whose signals were carried by at least one cable system located outside the station’s local service area or by a satellite provider that provided the station’s signal to at least one viewer outside the station’s local service area during 2025. These stations may be eligible […]
To close out 2025, the Space Bureau has conducted one last check of its open docket list, adding a final name to its packed post-President’s Day comment window. An end of year Public Notice asks commenters to refresh the record on a five-year old rulemaking that proposes permitting non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite systems to communicate […]
The FCC unanimously adopted an NPRM proposing a comprehensive restructuring and reform of its long-standing space and earth station licensing rules (Part 25). The NPRM proposes to wholly replace its “Part 25 – Satellite Communications” rules with a new “Part 100 – Space and Earth Station Services” rule section. Comments are due on January 20, […]
The rapid expansion of the commercial space economy over the last decade has resulted in demand on spectrum far exceeding the Commission’s expectations at the time it devised and adopted its Upper Microwave Flexible Use Spectrum (UMFUS) sharing framework. At the same time, negligible adoption of millimeter wave bands by terrestrial services has upended the […]
The Trump administration’s new Executive Order formally adopts a policy to “enhance American greatness in space.” The EO directs streamlining and reform efforts in four key areas—commercial launch and reentry, spaceport infrastructure, novel space activities, and regulatory leadership and accountability. While the EO was well received by the commercial space industry, the ability of the […]
On Thursday, August 7, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) held its monthly Open Meeting, where it considered items spanning several industries, including broadcasting, satellite communications, and public safety, among others. The expansive agenda reflected the Commission’s full court press on agency-wide regulatory streamlining, system modernization, and expansion of nationwide connectivity initiatives. Below are […]
This post is directed to television stations with locally-produced programming whose signals were carried by at least one cable system located outside the station’s local service area or by a satellite provider that provided the station’s signal to at least one viewer outside the station’s local service area during 2024. These stations may be eligible […]