Federal Communications Commission FCC 13-111 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) Comprehensive Review of Licensing and ) IB Docket No. 12-267 Operating Rules for Satellite Services ) REPORT AND ORDER Adopted: August 9, 2013 Released: August 9, 2013 By the Commission: Chairwoman Clyburn and Commissioners Rosenworcel and Pai issuing separate statements. TABLE OF CONTENTS Heading Paragraph # I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................. 1 II. BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................... 2 III. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................ 5 A. Definitions ....................................................................................................................................... 6 B. Reporting Requirements ................................................................................................................ 18 1. Annual Reports........................................................................................................................ 18 2. Contact Information ................................................................................................................ 24 3. TT&C Arrangements............................................................................................................... 29 4. Results of In-Orbit Testing and Placement in Assigned Orbit ................................................ 33 C. MSS and ATC Terminals Aboard Aircraft.................................................................................... 36 D. Milestone Rules ............................................................................................................................. 40 E. Form 312EZ and the Autogrant Procedure.................................................................................... 51 F. Rain Fade Compensation ............................................................................................................... 57 G. Other Proposed Changes to Subpart B – Applications and Licenses............................................. 60 1. Section 25.111 “Additional information”................................................................................ 60 2. Section 25.112 “Defective applications”................................................................................. 66 3. Section 25.113 “Station construction, launch authority, and operation of spare satellites” ................................................................................................................................. 68 4. Section 25.114 “Applications for space station authorizations” ............................................. 73 5. Section 25.115 “Applications for earth station authorizations” ............................................ 106 6. Section 25.118 “Modifications not requiring prior authorization”........................................ 110 7. Section 25.121 “License term and renewals”........................................................................ 116 8. Section 25.129 “Equipment authorization for portable earth-station transceivers” .............. 120 9. Section 25.130 “Filing requirements for transmitting earth stations”................................... 121 10. Section 25.131 “Filing requirements for receive-only earth stations” .................................. 125 11. Section 25.132 “Verification of earth station antenna performance standards”.................... 127 12. Section 25.133 “Period of construction; certification of commencement of operation”....... 134 13. Section 25.134 “Licensing provisions for Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and C-band Small Aperture Terminals (CSAT) networks” ......................................................... 137 14. Sections 25.135, 25.136, and 25.143..................................................................................... 143 15. Section 25.138 “Licensing requirements for GSO FSS earth stations in the 18.3-18.8 GHz (space-to-Earth), 19.7-20.2 GHz (space-to-Earth), 28.35-28.6 GHz (Earth-to- space), and 29.25-30.0 GHz (Earth-to-space) bands” ........................................................... 147 Federal Communications Commission FCC 13-111 16. Section 25.140 “Further requirements for license applications for geostationary space stations in the Fixed-Satellite Service and 17/24 GHz Broadcasting-Satellite Service”....... 156 17. Section 25.142 “Licensing provisions for the non-voice, non-geostationary Mobile- Satellite Service” ................................................................................................................... 159 18. Section 25.143 “Licensing provisions for the 1.6/2.4 GHz Mobile-Satellite Service and 2 GHz Mobile-Satellite Service”.................................................................................... 160 19. Section 25.144 “Licensing provisions for the 2.3 GHz Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service” ................................................................................................................................. 161 20. Section 25.145 “Licensing provisions for the Fixed-Satellite Service in the 20/30 GHz bands” ........................................................................................................................... 162 21. Section 25.153 “Repetitious applications”............................................................................ 164 22. Section 25.154 “Opposition to applications and other pleadings” ........................................ 165 23. Section 25.161 “Automatic termination of station authorization” ........................................ 166 H. Other Proposed Changes in Subpart C – “Technical Standards”................................................. 167 1. Section 25.202 “Frequencies, frequency tolerance and emission limitations”...................... 168 2. Section 25.203 “Choice of sites and frequencies”................................................................. 171 3. Section 25.204 “Power limits” .............................................................................................. 173 4. Section 25.205 “Minimum angle of antenna elevation”........................................................ 174 5. Section 25.206 “Station identification”................................................................................. 175 6. Section 25.208 “Power flux density limits” .......................................................................... 176 7. Section 25.209 “Earth station antenna performance standards”............................................ 177 8. Section 25.210 “Technical requirements for space stations” ................................................ 180 9. Section 25.211 “Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Service”....................... 185 10. Section 25.212 “Narrowband analog transmissions and digital transmissions in the GSO Fixed-Satellite Service”................................................................................................ 188 11. Section 25.215 “Technical requirements for space stations in the Direct Broadcast Satellite Service” ................................................................................................................... 192 12. Section 25.217 “Default service rules” ................................................................................. 193 13. Section 25.218 “Off-axis EIRP envelopes for FSS earth station operations” ....................... 195 14. Section 25.220 “Non-conforming transmit/receive earth station operations”....................... 199 15. Sections 25.221, 25.222, and 25.226..................................................................................... 200 16. Section 25.223 “Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder-link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS”.............................................................................................................. 201 17. Sections 25.259 and 25.260................................................................................................... 204 I. Other Proposed Changes in Subpart D – Technical Operations .................................................. 205 1. Section 25.271 “Control of transmitting stations” ................................................................ 205 2. Section 25.276 “Points of Communication” ......................................................................... 206 3. Section 25.281 “Automatic Transmitter Identification System (ATIS)” .............................. 208 J. Recommendations for Further Changes in Part 25 ...................................................................... 221 IV. REGULATORY IMPACT CONCLUSION ...................................................................................... 222 V. PROCEDURAL MATTERS.............................................................................................................. 223 A. Regulatory Flexibility Act ........................................................................................................... 223 B. Paperwork Reduction Act............................................................................................................ 224 C. Congressional Review Act..........................................................................................................