Smallsat Licensing Hiccups Prompt FCC Enforcement Advisory

An FCC enforcement advisory on satellite licensing requirements issued Thursday comes as smallsat operators are getting well into preparation for a launch before seeking authorizations necessary, an FCC staffer told us. The advisory from the International Enforcement and Wireless Bureaus and Office of Engineering and Technology said its intent is to remind operators of regulatory requirements and warn them about doing otherwise. The agency said operators denied a license or with an application pending shouldn't give the satellite to a launcher if that commits them to launching. It also said the operator could face not getting authorizations for earth stations outside the U.S. until a U.S. satellite authorization is issued. It said launching without authorization with onboard radio transmitters disabled isn't an option since that could create a hazard to other satellites due to the inability to monitor or control the satellite. The FCC is dealing with an unauthorized constellation launched by satellite IoT connectivity startup Swarm (see 1803200003), but the advisory wasn't in response only to Swarm, the agency staffer said.