Federal Communications Commission	DA 26-192




DA 26-192
Released: February 26, 2026

SPACE BUREAU ANNOUNCES ONE YEAR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY EXPEDITED PROCESSING PROCEDURES FOR EARTH STATION APPLICATIONS SEEKING SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY 
With this Public Notice, the Space Bureau extends for another year, until March 10, 2027, the current temporary expedited processing procedures and associated waivers of the Commission’s procedural rules relating to specific earth station applications for special temporary authority (STA). Space Bureau Announces Temporary Expedited Processing Procedures for Earth Station Applications Seeking Special Temporary Authority, SB Docket No. 25-207, Public Notice, 40 FCC Rcd 1558 (SB 2025) (2025 Public Notice); 5 U.S.C. § 553(b)(3)(A) (exempting from APA rulemaking requirements rules of agency procedure).
  We find that it is in the public interest and there is good cause to extend the waiver of the Commission’s procedural rules for another year because these procedures, which are outlined and explained in the 2025 Public Notice, 2025 Public Notice, 40 FCC Rcd at 1559-562.
 have enabled the Bureau to process record numbers of earth station STAs over the past year, notwithstanding ongoing earth station application surges as the space economy continues to grow and thrive.  Moreover, the Bureau’s experience administering these temporary procedures has demonstrated that these procedures are relatively easy to implement.  The rationale set forth in the 2025 Public Notice continues to apply at this time, and the special procedures remain necessary to ensure the Bureau timely handles the surge of filings and to avoid creating another backlog. Id.
  This one-year extension will ensure the continued prompt and efficient processing of earth station STA applications while the Commission considers more comprehensive rule changes to modernize its application processing. See Space Modernization for the 21st Century, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, SB Docket No. 25-306, FCC-25-69 (2025) (Modernization NPRM); see also Letter from Gregory W. Coutros, Associate Chief, Earth Station Licensing Division, Space Bureau, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC at 3-4 (Aug. 11, 2025) (on file in IB Docket Nos. 22-411 and 22-271) (highlighting the increase in processed earth station applications and the reduction in pending earth station applications in 2025).
  Accordingly, we find good cause to extend these temporary expedited processing procedures for another year. The rationale and criteria for these procedures as enumerated in the 2025 Public Notice continue to apply.  40 FCC Rcd at 1559, n.8.  For example, these expedited procedures apply only to non-common carrier, non-broadcast earth station application that that are not otherwise covered by Section 309(b) of the Act and that propose to operate in frequency bands not subject to federal coordination.  Non-common carrier, non-broadcast operations are not subject to the notice requirements of Section 309 of the Communications Act of 1934. See 47 U.S.C. § 309(b) (enumerating the authorization and service types specifically requiring 30 day public notice); see also 47 U.S.C. § 309(c)(2)(G) (noting that certain types of STAs are prima facie not covered by 47 USC § 309(b)); 47 U.S.C. § 309(f) (stating that this section applies to those authorizations and service types enumerated in 47 U.S.C. § 309(b)).

  
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People with Disabilities:  To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice). 
Additional Information.  For additional information, applicants should contact Delaney Wood, Earth Station Licensing Division, Space Bureau, at Delaney.Wood@fcc.gov. 

ATTACHMENT

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