Chairman Pai at Chamber Roundtable on Small Satellite Integration

I’m excited to have the opportunity to speak with you today about the US satellite industry—and specifically how the Federal Communications Commission is promoting American innovation and investment in orbit. We are committed to streamlining our regulatory processes and ensuring flexible rules that can adapt to new technologies, such as these massive, next-generation constellations. The bottom line is that the space industry is changing, and our regulations need to change with it. We aim to craft forward-looking rules that safeguard the public interest and enable the private sector to deliver consumer value. That’s the only way to ensure that America remains the best place in the world to license and launch satellites. 

I’m pleased to announce new steps that the FCC is taking toward meeting this challenge. This morning, I presented to my colleagues a draft order that would make it easier and cheaper to license small satellites, or smallsats. In sum, if operators want to launch satellites with certain characteristics, such as short orbital lifetimes, they would no longer be forced to comply with the longer and more expensive approval processes required for larger-scale missions. And when the FCC votes on Aug 1, I hope my colleagues approve as well.