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 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  Contact: 
 May  25,  2001  Maureen  Peratino  at  (202)  418-  0506 


 COMMISSION  STREAMLINES  LICENSING  OF  SATELLITE  C-  BAND 
 SMALL  EARTH  TERMINALS 


 Washington,  DC  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  has  adopted  a  First  Report 
 and  Order  (Order)  streamlining  licensing  of  certain  satellite  earth  station  networks  in  the  C-  band. 
 These  satellite  systems  provide  opportunities  for  deploying  telecommunications  services  to 
 underserved,  rural  and  Native  American  areas  in  the  United  States. 


 The  new  rules,  which  address  petitions  filed  by  Onsat  Network  Communications,  Inc., 
 will  provide  much  needed  relief  in  the  implementation  of  satellite  networks  using  small  aperture 
 antenna  terminals  in  the  C-  band  for  provision  of  broadband,  data  and  other  satellite 
 telecommunications  services.  They  also  balance  the  requirements  of  the  terrestrial  and  satellite 
 systems  that  extensively  share  this  spectrum. 


 The  Commission’s  Order  amends  Part  25  of  the  Commission’s  rules  to  permit,  with  prior 
 coordination,  the  licensing  of  a  limited  class  of  small  aperture  terminal  earth  station  networks  in 
 the  C-  band  (CSAT)  under  a  single  authorization.  This  option  is  available  only  to  operators 
 whose  applications  identify  no  more  than  three  discrete  geostationary  satellites  to  be  accessed 
 and  a  maximum  of  20  megahertz  of  spectrum  in  each  direction  for  each  of  the  satellites  to  be 
 accessed.  Among  other  things,  these  procedures  require  a  CSAT  applicant  to  complete 
 frequency  coordination  for  each  individual  earth  station  antenna,  but  will  allow  licensing  for  a 
 system  of  coordinated  technically-  identical  earth  stations  with  simplified  reporting  to  the 
 Commission.  In  addition,  where  CSAT  earth  stations  have  been  coordinated,  the  streamlined 
 rules  allow  providers  to  operate  on  a  condit  ional  basis  until  final  approval,  facilit  ating 
 deployment  of  systems  and  service  to  the  public. 


 Action  by  the  Commission  May  23,  2001,  by  First  Report  and  Order  (FCC  01-  177). 
 Chairman  Powell,  Commissioners  Ness,  Furchtgott-  Roth,  and  Tristani. 


 -  FCC  -International 
 Bureau  contact:  Edward  Jacobs  at  (202)  418-  0624 
 IB  Docket  No.  00-  203 
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