47 CFR 25.217 - Default service rules.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the revision of the Commission's 2006 Biennial Regulatory Review, Report and Order. This notice is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the requirements.

In this Report and Order, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) provides for the efficient licensing of two-way in-flight broadband services, including Internet access, to passengers and flight crews aboard commercial airliners and private aircraft. Specifically, the Report and Order establishes technical and licensing rules for Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft (ESAA), i.e., earth stations on aircraft communicating with Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS) geostationary-orbit (GSO) space stations operating in the 10.95-11.2 GHz, 11.45-11.7 GHz, 11.7-12.2 GHz (space-to-Earth or downlink) and 14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space or uplink) frequency bands.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission amends various provisions of the Commission's rules pertaining to licensing and operation of satellite service radio stations. With two exceptions, the amendments are non-substantive; that is, they neither impose new requirements nor eliminate or alter existing requirements. The two substantive amendments adopted in this Report and Order amend the rules in minor ways by eliminating requirements to identify a radio service and station location in correspondence and codifying an established practice of allowing applicants to cross-reference, rather than re-submit, previously filed information regarding non-U.S.-licensed satellites. Collectively, the changes adopted in this Report and Order will facilitate preparation of earth and space station applications, promote compliance with the Commission's operating rules, and ease administrative burdens for applicants, licensees, and the Commission.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) increases the Nation's supply of spectrum for mobile broadband by adopting flexible use rules for up to 40 megahertz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band (2000-2020 MHz and 2180-2200 MHz), which we term the AWS-4 band. In so doing, we carry out a recommendation in the National Broadband Plan that the Commission enable the provision of stand-alone terrestrial services in the 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum band. Specifically, we remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to mobile broadband use of this spectrum, and adopt service, technical, and licensing rules that will encourage innovation and investment in mobile broadband and provide a stable regulatory regime in which broadband deployment can develop.

The Federal Communications Commission published a document in the Federal Register on February 6, 2013 (78 FR 8417), revising Commission rules. This document corrects the final regulation by revising certain provisions.

The Federal Communications Commission is correcting the comment and reply comment dates for a proposed rule that appeared in the Federal Register of March 8, 2013. The document proposed rules for Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the revision of the Commission's 2006 Biennial Regulatory Review, Report and Order. This notice is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the requirements.

In this Report and Order, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) provides for the efficient licensing of two-way in-flight broadband services, including Internet access, to passengers and flight crews aboard commercial airliners and private aircraft. Specifically, the Report and Order establishes technical and licensing rules for Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft (ESAA), i.e., earth stations on aircraft communicating with Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS) geostationary-orbit (GSO) space stations operating in the 10.95-11.2 GHz, 11.45-11.7 GHz, 11.7-12.2 GHz (space-to-Earth or downlink) and 14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space or uplink) frequency bands.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission amends various provisions of the Commission's rules pertaining to licensing and operation of satellite service radio stations. With two exceptions, the amendments are non-substantive; that is, they neither impose new requirements nor eliminate or alter existing requirements. The two substantive amendments adopted in this Report and Order amend the rules in minor ways by eliminating requirements to identify a radio service and station location in correspondence and codifying an established practice of allowing applicants to cross-reference, rather than re-submit, previously filed information regarding non-U.S.-licensed satellites. Collectively, the changes adopted in this Report and Order will facilitate preparation of earth and space station applications, promote compliance with the Commission's operating rules, and ease administrative burdens for applicants, licensees, and the Commission.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) increases the Nation's supply of spectrum for mobile broadband by adopting flexible use rules for up to 40 megahertz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band (2000-2020 MHz and 2180-2200 MHz), which we term the AWS-4 band. In so doing, we carry out a recommendation in the National Broadband Plan that the Commission enable the provision of stand-alone terrestrial services in the 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum band. Specifically, we remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to mobile broadband use of this spectrum, and adopt service, technical, and licensing rules that will encourage innovation and investment in mobile broadband and provide a stable regulatory regime in which broadband deployment can develop.

In this document, the International Bureau granted a request for an extension of time to file comments in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that initiated a comprehensive review of the Commission's rules governing space stations and earth stations. The original deadline for filing comments was December 24, 2012; the original deadline for filing reply comments was January 22, 2013. The International Bureau extended the deadlines for filing both comments and reply comments by three weeks.

In this document, the Commission initiates a comprehensive review of its rules governing licensing and operation of space stations and earth stations. The proposed amendments are designed to reflect evolving technology, eliminate unnecessary technical and information filing requirements for applicants, and reorganize and simplify existing requirements. Collectively, the changes proposed in this document will streamline our regulations, facilitating more rapid deployment of services to the public, greater investment, and new innovations in satellite services.