Block or generic licenses for Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) Earth Stations

The Third Summit of the Americas (Quebec City, 2001) requested “ministries or departments responsible for telecommunications and appropriate regulatory bodies to cooperate, within CITEL, in order to clarify and simplify rules governing the provision of satellite services in our countries, and work to complete the development of a Hemispheric Web site including each country’s requirements and forms of application for licensing to provide satellite-based telecommunications services”.

Based on this request of the Summit of the Americas, Permanent Consultative Committee II (PCC.II), at its first meeting, held in February 2003, in Orlando, Florida, United States of America, recommended that the CITEL Administrations encourage the development of broadband via satellite by implementing appropriate and flexible regulatory frameworks that will allow for the rapid implementation, access and use of broadband services.

Subsequently, at the suggestion of the Administration of Brazil, at the III Meeting of PCC.II, in decision PCC.II/DEC.19 (III-04), a subgroup was established to develop procedures and guidelines for block or generic licensing that could be used by CITEL Administrations for licensing of FSS earth stations operating in up link frequency bands not shared with other services.

In the same decision, a discussion group was established in CITEL’s Electronic Forum and Mr. Ricardo Fontes of Brazil was designated coordinator of the working subgroup. On August 16, 2004, that Electronic Forum discussion group was created and given the name “FSSBLOCK.”

The objective of this procedure is to simplify earth station licensing by establishing a mechanism to authorize large numbers of technically identical satellite earth stations to operate under a single or “block” license. In addition, its ultimate objective is to promote the rapid implementation of broadband by satellite, as has taken place in countries of the Americas that have already adopted these types of licenses.

For example, since 2003, in Brazil, block licenses have been granted for over 15,000 fixed satellite service (FSS) satellite earth stations, which are used for broadband Internet access.

Since August 2004, the working subgroup has made efforts to develop procedures and guidelines for block licensing. On October 29, 2004, the coordinator of this working subgroup presented the first preliminary version of a flow diagram explaining the proposed block licensing process for comment by the members of CITEL’s discussion group.

Subsequently, on November 1, 2004, the CITEL Secretariat sent circular SG/CITEL/CI.92/04 to the Member States, inviting the Administrations and Associate Members to participate in this working subgroup and requesting comments through November 15, 2004.

At the IV Meeting of CITEL’s PCC.II, held in Buenos Aires, the coordinator of the said working subgroup presented the first draft flow diagram, supported by a contribution from the Administration of Brazil illustrating the block licensing process proposed in the diagram. This appears in CITEL’s web page for comment by members of this discussion group.

At the above-mentioned meeting, it was established in decision PCC.II/DEC. 24 (IV-04) that the Executive Secretary of CITEL would send to the Administrations the report of the coordinator of this working subgroup, inviting them to forward their comments on the flow diagram.

The contributions of the Administrations of Brazil and Canada may be found in the “FSSBLOCK” discussion group of CITEL’s Electronic Forum. Other Administrations that so wish may forward their comments or contributions directly to the coordinator of the subgroup, Ricardo Fontes ([email protected]), with a copy to the CITEL Secretariat ([email protected]) by August 30, 2005, in accordance with the decision adopted at the last meeting of PCC.II, held in Guatemala City, in April 2005.

We now invite the Administrations to forward their comments or contributions for this working subgroup so that a draft recommendation on this procedure may be presented at the VI Meeting of CITEL’s PCC.II (October 25-28, 2005, San José, Costa Rica), whose ultimate aim is to assist in the implementation of broadband by satellite in the Americas.

Ricardo Fontes
Working Sub-Group to develop
common procedures and guidelines for
Block or Generic Earth Station Licensingfor the
licensing of FSS earth stations
Working Group Relative to Satellite Systems
to Provide Fixed and Mobile Services
e-mail: [email protected]