FCC Advances Permitting Reform to Strengthen U.S. Space Leadership, Satellite Innovation and Broadband Access in September Open Meeting

In case you missed it, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took meaningful steps at its September 2026 Open Meeting to advance U.S. leadership in the ‘New Space Age.’ By modernizing its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rules, the Commission moved to reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers, streamline review processes, strengthen competition and support the innovation needed to expand next-generation low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity.

Prior to the Commissioners’ vote, the Connect Everyone Coalition shared a comment commending modernization of NEPA rules:  

“We’re encouraged by Chairman Carr and the Federal Communications Commission’s continued efforts to modernize outdated policy that risks slowing American innovation. … By cutting unnecessary regulatory red tape, these updates will help enable 21st-century technologies, including burgeoning low Earth orbit satellite connectivity offerings, to reach more people, more quickly.”

The FCC’s action to modernize its NEPA rules represents an important step toward a clearer, more predictable permitting framework for communications infrastructure. Commissioners emphasized that these reforms would support faster builds, greater innovation and stronger connectivity for consumers nationwide:

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez: “I strongly support efforts to streamline environmental review requirements to ensure that infrastructure deployment can occur in a timely manner.”

FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty: “We are removing a significant regulatory barrier to infrastructure investment that will help connect more Americans, promote the deployment of 5G services, and lay the groundwork for U.S. leadership in 6G. Today’s action will also help increase broadband affordability and ensure that broadband providers can strengthen the communications capabilities of first responders or nearby military installations without having to navigate unnecessary red tape. Importantly, this item takes a step of clarifying that extraterrestrial space operations are not subject to NEPA. In taking this approach, we avoid constraining American innovation, commerce, and U.S. leadership in space by applying NEPA’s terrestrial regulatory regime to this orbital domain.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr: “Today’s vote and related reforms are expected to save over $2 billion in compliance costs while zeroing out over $7 billion in economic harm over the next 10 years. This means our decision will likely eliminate evaluations from more than 14,000 wireless deployments, and this will translate into millions of dollars in savings each year from foregone environmental assessments and other paperwork requirements. Those savings will mean faster builds too. This decision is also a big deal for America’s leadership in space. We make clear today that the FCC will not be extending backwards-looking NEPA regulations to next-generation satellite constellations, whether orbital data centers or new direct-to-device systems. This clarification means that our nation’s innovators can continue to build without the unpredictable specter of activist lawsuits or last-minute surprises.”  

The FCC’s action removes redundant regulations and provides regulatory relief for satellite communications systems that do not qualify as major federal actions. In doing so, this modernization effort supports U.S. leadership in the growing space economy.

Watch the full meeting HERE.

Learn more about the Connect Everyone Coalition HERE.