NTIA Renews Push for Space Policy NPRM Action

NTIA is again urging amending the U.S. table of frequency allocations so federal earth stations communicating with commercial satellites get better interference protection. In a filing Friday in docket 13-115, NTIA urged the FCC to move on its 2013 space policy rulemaking that came from a 2006 NTIA petition (see 1305060028), saying doing so would help push some of the principles and goals in the White House's national space policy. It also said its proposal "will further energize competitive domestic industries to participate in global markets." Any co-primary regulatory status of federal earth stations is unlikely to add complexity or delays to licensing commercial stations, NTIA said, saying the agency shouldn't adopt rules that would add to commercial users' burdens or set requirements that would treat federal agencies differently from commercial users. NTIA said it backs the NPRM proposals to enable commercial access to the 420-430 MHz band on a co-primary basis, parts of 2200-2290 MHz band on a secondary basis and the 5650-5925 MHz band on a co-primary basis -- "a necessary and important initial milestone in providing protected spectrum access for commercial launch operations."