The primary rules that all earth station applicants and operators must follow are found in Title 47, part 25 of the Commission’s rules. For example, part 25 contains the rules and procedures for how to file an application, the parameters in which an earth station must operate, and what to do in the event of harmful interference. However, earth station operators, like all Commission licensed and regulated entities, are required to follow all applicable Commission rules and regulations regardless of where they are found in the Commission’s rules.
Below, is a non-exhaustive list of some of the key part 25 rules related to earth stations with a brief explanation of the rule part. This list is meant to provide a high level overview of where to look for specific information in the part 25 rules that is applicable to earth station applications and operations. In addition to reviewing part 25 to ensure all applicable rules are met, it’s important to review other parts of Title 47 to ensure compliance with all relevant rules. The list below does not contain the rules specific to earth stations in motion (ESIMs), Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service (UMFUS) or Coordination Requirements which are found in Overview of Service Specific Rules and Coordination Requirements.
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Brief Summary of Specific Rule Part |
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This is the underlying rule in part 25 of the Commission’s rules that requires an operator to be granted an earth station license before transmitting. Specifically : |
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This section contains the definitions for all of part 25 of the Commission’s rules. As it pertains to earth stations, this section contains the following definitions, among others: 1) Blanket License: Multiple earth stations in the FSS or MSS, or for SDARS terrestrial repeaters, that may be operated anywhere within a geographic area specified in the license; 2) Earth station: A station located either on the Earth's surface or within the major portion of the Earth's atmosphere intended for communication: 3) Earth Station Aboard Aircraft: An earth station operating aboard an aircraft that receives from and transmits to Fixed-Satellite Service space stations. 4) Earth Station in Motion: A term that collectively designates ESV, VMES and ESAA earth stations. 5) Earth Station on Vessel: An earth station onboard a craft designed for traveling on water, receiving from and transmitting to Fixed-Satellite Service space stations. 6) Fixed earth station: An earth station intended to be used at a fixed position. The position may be a specified fixed point or any fixed point within a specified area. 7) Mobile Earth Station: An earth station in the Mobile-Satellite Service intended to be used while in motion or during halts at unspecified points. 8) Vehicle-Mounted Earth Station: An earth station, operating from a motorized vehicle that travels primarily on land, that receives from and transmits to Fixed-Satellite Service space stations and operates within the United States. |
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The rule preempts any state or local zoning, land-use, building, or similar regulation that materially limits transmission or reception by satellite earth station antennas, or imposes more than minimal costs on users of such antennas, unless the promulgating authority can demonstrate that such regulation is reasonable as defined in this section. Further, any state or local zoning, land-use, building, or similar regulation that affects the installation, maintenance, or use of a satellite earth station antenna that is two meters or less in diameter and is located or proposed to be located in any area where commercial or industrial uses are generally permitted by non-federal land-use regulation shall be presumed unreasonable and is therefore preempted. In addition, this rule provides the procedures for filing a grievance for violations of the preemption. |
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This rule notes that for earth stations, construction permits are not required and permits the construction of earth stations prior to the grant of an earth station license at the applicant’s own risk. |
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This rule provides procedures for filing an earth station application as well as the requirements of the application. These are further discussed in Overview of Earth Station Licensing and License Contents. |
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Part (a) of this rule lays out instances when a modification to an earth station that does not require prior authorization does require a notification to the Commission within 30 days of the modification. This is submitted using the FCC Form 312 and Schedule B. Part (b) of this rule lays out the instances when a modification to an earth station that does not require prior authorization does not require a notification to the Commission. |
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This rule provides the instances and procedures under which the Commission will grant or an applicant can request Special Temporary Authority. This is discussed in more detail in Overview of Service Specific Rules and Coordination Requirements. |
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This rule provides the way in which earth station antenna performance is to be verified as it relates to radiation pattern tests and relevant off-axis gain standards. This is included as part of an earth station application. An applicant should review the specific requirements of this rule before submitting an application. |
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This rule part provides the time period within which an earth station or network of blanket licensed earth stations must be bought into operation, unless the Commission determines otherwise. In addition, this rule part establishes that licensees are required to provide certain information to the Commission upon completion of construction. Licensees for transmitting earth stations or modified license authorizing operation of an additional transmitting antenna, except for blanket licenses must file a certification including: (i) The name of the licensee; For FSS earth stations under a blanket license the licensee must notify the Commission when the earth station network commences operation. The notification should include the information described above and a certification that each hub antenna, and a type of antenna used in remote stations in the network, has been tested and found to perform within authorized gain patterns or off-axis EIRP density levels. For any type of antenna whose performance was not certified when the network commenced operation, the licensee must submit the information and certification stated above for the antenna type when it is first deployed. |
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This rule part provides the licensing provisions for earth station networks in the non-voice, non-geostationary Mobile-Satellite Service (NGSO MSS). This requires that a blanket earth station license applicant in the non-voice, non-geostationary mobile-satellite service demonstrate that transceiver operations will not cause unacceptable interference to other authorized users of the spectrum, based on existing system information publicly available at the Commission at the time of filing. This rule also requires such applicants comply with operational conditions placed upon the systems with which they are to operate. Further, the rule limits the operation of transceivers used under this rule part to communicate with and through U.S.-authorized space stations only. |
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This rule part is specific to Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service (UMFUS) operations. Information related to UMFUS can be found in Overview of Service Specific Rules and Coordination Requirements. |
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This rule part provides requirements for an earth station applicant requesting authority to communicate with a non-U.S.-licensed space station (including receive-only operations). The rule requires that applicants include in their application an exhibit that demonstrates that U.S.-licensed satellite systems have effective competitive opportunities to provide analogous services in: (1) The country in which the non-U.S. licensed space station is licensed; and In addition, the rule requires that earth station applicants requesting authority to communicate with a non-U.S.-licensed space station and entities filing a petition for declaratory ruling to access the United States market must demonstrate that the non-U.S.-licensed space station has complied with all applicable Commission requirements for non-U.S.-licensed systems to operate in the United States, including but not limited to the following: |
Part 25 Subpart C of the Commission’s rules contains the technical parameters and rules that all operators and applicants must follow. Below is a high-level overview of key rule parts, but an applicant or operator should carefully review the applicable portions of Subpart C to ensure that all technical requirements are met for the specific operations of the earth station.
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Brief Summary of Specific Rule Part |
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47 CFR § 25.203 is described in detail in Overview of Service Specific Rules and Coordination Requirements. |
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This rule section outlines the power limits for earth stations, generally. The rules have differing power limits depending on if a frequency band is also used by terrestrial radio services. It is important for applicants to carefully review this rule part to ensure compliance with applicable power limits when applying for an earth station license. |
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This rule part sets the technical parameters for minimum antenna elevation angles. Specifically, Earth station antennas must not transmit at elevation angles less than five degrees, measured from the horizontal plane to the direction of maximum radiation, in a frequency band shared with terrestrial radio services or in a frequency band with an allocation to space services operating in both the Earth-to-space and space-to-Earth directions. In other bands, earth station antennas must not transmit at elevation angles less than three degrees. In some instances, it may be necessary to specify greater minimum elevation angles because of interference considerations. However, for earth stations aboard aircraft, the rules differ slightly depending on if the aircraft is on the ground or not. While on the ground, earth stations aboard aircraft must not transmit at elevation angles less than three degrees. There is no minimum angle of antenna elevation while airborne. |
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This rule part outlines the antenna performance standards that all earth stations must follow. An applicant must demonstrate compliance with these standards when applying for an authorization. The technical standards outlined in this rule part differ based on the frequency and other technical parameters of the operation of the earth station. An applicant should carefully review this rule part to ensure compliance before applying. |
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This rule part outlines the emissions limits that mobile earth stations must adhere to for protection of aeronautical radionavigation-satellite service (ARNS). This section includes the max E.I.R.P. limits that must be followed depending on various factors outlined in the rule part. |
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This rule part provides the parameters for off-axis EIRP density envelopes for FSS earth stations. This section applies to applications for fixed and temporary-fixed FSS earth stations transmitting to geostationary space stations in the conventional C-band, extended C-band, conventional Ku-band, extended Ku-band, conventional Ka-band, extended Ka-band, or 24.75–25.25 GHz. This section also applies to applications for ESIMs transmitting in the conventional C-band, conventional Ku-band, conventional Ka-band, except for applications proposing transmission of analog command signals at a band edge with bandwidths greater than 1 MHz or transmission of any other type of analog signal with bandwidths greater than 200 kHz. |
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This portion of the rules outlines the protection criteria and parameters for receive only earth stations that operate in the 17/24 GHz Broadcast Satellite Service. |
Part 25 Subpart D of the Commission’s rules contains the requirements for operations and duties of an operator. Below is a summary of a few key rule parts of this subsection; however operators and applicants should carefully review the applicable portions of Subpart D to ensure they are in compliance with all relevant rules.
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Brief Summary of Specific Rule Part |
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This rule part makes clear that the licensee of a facility is responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of the station. The rule part requires that a trained operator is present at the earth station site or at a designated remote control point at all times that transmissions are being conducted. Further, the rules provides the conditions under which authority will be granted to operate a transmitting earth station by remote control. Finally, the rule part lays out additional requirements such as security and the need to update contact information for a site with the Commission within 10 days. |
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This rule part provides the procedures an earth station operator must follow in the event of harmful interference. Because the procedures differ based on the type of interference and the cause, all operators should familiarize themselves with this rule part to ensure that proper procedures are followed. |
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This rule part requires that the owner of an earth station antenna structure comply with all applicable painting, marking, and/or lighting requirements in part 17. In the event of default by the owner, the station licensee will be responsible for ensuring that such requirements are met. |
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This rule part provides additional responsibilities for licensees of blanket-licensed earth station as they pertains to operation. The rule requires that the holder of an FCC blanket earth station license is responsible for operation of any earth station under that license. Operators of satellite networks and systems must not transmit communications to or from such earth stations in the United States unless such communications are authorized under a service contract with the holder of a pertinent FCC blanket earth station license or under a service contract with another party with authority for such operation delegated by such a blanket licensee. |
The information provided in this webpage is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to serve as legal guidance or precedent. Most filing requirements are detailed in the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 151 et. seq., or the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) found in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Also, some filing requirements are set forth in orders or as conditions to authorizations. The information provided in this webpage does not amend, replace, or supersede any statute or any rule, order, or authorization adopted by the FCC. The information provided in this webpage is not controlling in case of discrepancies between this webpage and any statute or any rule, order, or authorization adopted by the FCC. In all cases, independent research and determination of the applicability of any statute or FCC rule, order, authorization, or requirement is required. The information provided in this webpage does not bind the FCC and does not create any rights, benefits, expectations, or defenses—substantive or procedural—that are enforceable by any party in any manner. The FCC retains the discretion to adopt approaches on a case-by-case basis, where appropriate, that may differ from the discussion on this webpage.