It is T-minus four days and counting until the FCC launches its new Space Bureau.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Friday that the new bureau will launch April 11 with a public event (3 p.m., live streamed at www.fcc.gov/live) celebrating the inaugural staff and talking about the goals of the FCC's regulatory space program.
The goals of the bureau are to promote global communications competition in satellite-based technology--the FCC for several years has been promoting low earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband delivery as a competitor to traditional service, notably efforts by OneWeb, SpaceX, and most recently Amazon’s satellite-delivered broadband company, Project Kuiper.
Those companies will be glad to hear that another of the bureau's charters is to "streamline regulatory processes to provide maximum flexibility for operators to meet customer needs; and foster the efficient use of scarce spectrum and orbital resources."
“Whether it’s bringing broadband to hard-to-connect rural communities, closing mobile dead zones, or linking freedom-seeking people across the globe, satellite connectivity is fundamental to improving our quality of life and maintaining our economic succes," said Rosenworcel, who spearheaded the move to give space its own space in the FCC's organizational chart.
