FCC Creates The Space Bureau

With a metaphorical sweep of a pen (actually, a 4-0 commission vote), FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel moved to eliminate the agency's International Bureau and create a new Space Bureau plus an Office of International Affairs (OIA). This decision moves all satellite- and space-related work to the new bureau, while placing the agency's long-standing international telecommunications policy work into a smaller office within the agency's organizational structure. The agency's goal is to "promote a competitive and innovative global telecommunications marketplace via space services."

The OIA will manage the other non-space-related functions of the former International Bureau, such as 214 international telecommunications authority, submarine cable authorizations, and foreign ownership regulation. These latter functions, while important holistically for major telecommunications carriers, do not generally require a large amount of staff time to manage. Conversely, the space and