Astranis Talks Geostationary Orbit Surety Bond Problems With FCC
Obtaining and maintaining a satellite license is more expensive in the U.S. than anywhere else, and the FCC should eliminate the surety bond requirement for geostationary orbit (GSO) satellites, Astranis said in a pair of docket 25-133 filings posted Friday. The company recapped meetings with the FCC Space Bureau and Commissioner Nathan Simington's office about the surety bond and the agency's regulatory fees. It said the bond requirement disproportionately affects new entrants because companies without long-term banking relationships or big balance sheets must pay a fee to a bank to issue the bond, as well as set aside substantial collateral.
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Astranis' micro-GSOs mean multiple satellites are collocated in a single orbital slot, it said, so the FCC should apply regulatory fees to the company's system based on orbital location rather than on a per-satellite basis. Astranis representatives also told bureau staffers that a lack of certainty regarding access to the 27.5-28.35 GHz band, due to complex siting requirements, means companies must consider locating their tracking, telemetry and control or gateway earth stations in other countries. The company advocated for streamlining of FCC rules by boosting the number of earth stations allowed per county to 10 and removing the population and road coverage determinations.