SAT Streamlining Act

Key Points

• The bill requires the FCC to decide on new satellite license applications within one year, replacing the current open-ended review process that can drag on for years. This applies to both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite systems, as well as earth station authorizations.
• If the FCC misses its deadline, a satellite company's application is automatically approved. This "deemed granted" provision is meant to force the agency to act quickly and prevent applications from sitting in a backlog indefinitely.
• State and local governments are blocked from regulating the rates that satellite companies charge their customers. Local authorities can still regulate other terms and conditions of service, but pricing would be controlled at the federal level only.
• Companies with significant foreign ownership face a required national security review. Their applications must be referred to a special committee for assessment of national security and law enforcement concerns before they can be approved.
• Minor satellite license modifications, like upgrades that increase transmission capacity or improve spectral efficiency, get fast-tracked with a 90-day decision deadline. Replacement of equipment with technically similar components already approved by the FCC gets an even faster 30-day turnaround.

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Related Bills

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