WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 22, 2026) — The FCC’s proposal to modernize satellite licensing would speed processing and reduce regulatory burdens, but risks increasing congestion and coordination failures as demand for satellite spectrum grows.
In comments filed this week, TPI Senior Fellow and President Emeritus Thomas Lenard acknowledges the Space Bureau’s progress in cutting the application backlog in half and improving processing times. But he warns that streamlining applications without changing how the FCC allocates spectrum could encourage strategic over-filing and fragmented access. As satellite activity scales, reliance on spectrum sharing, processing rounds, and first-come, first-served rules may undermine efficient use.
The comments urge the Commission to seek further input on market-based mechanisms or transferable usage rights to complement procedural reforms and ensure the licensing system can scale with the space economy.
Full comments are available here.
