A new online portal operated by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will streamline reviews of spectrum requests made by commercial space launch providers.
NTIA said the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal replaces a legacy system that operated via email. The agency said the old system “had been criticized by industry for lacking transparency and moving slowly.”
The new system will address those concerns, NTIA said.
Through the portal, commercial space launch providers can request spectrum in the S-band frequencies for space launch operations. In addition, federal agencies can review and approve requests, offer feedback, and view the entire request – including comments from other agencies, NTIA said.
“Efficient, innovative spectrum management is essential to both our national security and economic prosperity. But for too long, the federal government has been bogged down by slow, outdated technologies,” said Arielle Roth, assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and NTIA Administrator, in a statement.
“Today’s launch of the Space Launch Frequency Coordination Portal is the first step in the modernization of our systems that will position the United States for leadership in spectrum innovation and space for years to come,” she added.
In a post to the Federal Register, NTIA said commercial launch providers will submit spectrum requests through the portal after securing Federal Communications Commission licenses. Then, federal agencies will coordinate and track approvals in a transparent, secure system.
NTIA said the portal launch is intended to advance an executive order that calls for increased launch efficiency and cadence and a congressional mandate to improve coordination across U.S. space launch activities.
The portal is part of NTIA’s broader push to modernize government workflows with digital tools. Other agency offerings include a tool to speed permitting and environmental reviews for broadband projects, and the agency said it is exploring artificial intelligence to improve spectrum management.