A Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) adopted by the FCC will simplify rules governing “earth stations in motion” (or ESIMs) used for satellite services on ships, airplanes and vehicles. Previously, ESIM rules varied depending on the type of attached vehicle. The Report and Order integrates the three ESIM types into a single regulatory category to make the licensing process more efficient and provides flexibility to operate in the conventional Ka-band. The FNPRM solicits comment on expanding ESIM frequencies to include FSS downlink bands 10.7-10.95 GHz, 11.2-11.45 GHz, and 17.8-18.3 GHz. Comments on the FNPRM are due 45 days from publication in the Federal Register, which has not yet occurred.
