Sens Cruz, Welch Introduce Bill to Strengthen America’s Satellite Sector

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Satellite and Telecommunications (SAT) Streamlining Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to update the Federal Communications Commission’s application process and remove regulatory barriers and uncertainty that could threaten investments in the United States’ commercial satellite industry. The number of applications submitted to the FCC for satellites has dramatically increased, but outdated regulatory barriers have delayed processing those applications. The SAT Streamlining Act establishes a clear, one-year deadline for the FCC to make a decision on a license application. These changes would help expand broadband access to underserved areas and incentivize commercial satellite operators to base operations in the United States over foreign jurisdictions where satellite application processes may be less burdensome. The legislation also standardizes “market access” for foreign satellite systems operating in the United States by capping licenses at 15 years, aligning them with the 15-year approval term applied to U.S. companies.