In an effort to streamline federal reviews of spectrum requests by commercial satellite launch providers, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has created the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal.
To date, the system for managing spectrum requests from commercial launch providers has been handled by email. The NTIA’s announcement said that this system was criticized for being slow and lacking transparency. The new system aims to remedy those concerns and enable providers to seek S-band spectrum, which the NTIA says is much sought after.
The new NTIA portal is part of the Executive Order on Ensuring American Space Superiority and the Launch Communications Act. The former seeks a faster “cadence” of launches and the latter for improved space launch coordination.
The press release said that the move is part of a broader NTIA effort to streamline cumbersome review processes.
“Efficient, innovative spectrum management is essential to both our national security and economic prosperity. But for too long, the federal government has been bogged down by slow, outdated technologies,” Arielle Roth, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, said in a press release.
“Today’s launch of the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal is the first step in the modernization of our systems that will position the United States for leadership in spectrum innovation and space for years to come.”
Space is getting crowded. In January, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved low-earth orbit (LEO) provider SpaceX 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites to its existing fleet, which would be doubled to 15,000 satellites.
In February, the FCC approved Amazon Leo’s application to put 4,504 satellites in orbit.
Though the NTIA is part of the Department of Commerce, the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal is consistent with one of the six priorities that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr articulated in what he called his first major policy address last July. The goal, he said at the time, is to shrink the backlogs of satellite applications and the cut red tape.
