ABSTRACT
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was established by the Communications Act of 1934, which gave it very broad authority to regulate interstate wired and wireless communications within the United States. The regulation of satellite communications also requires international agreement. The International Telecommunications Union governs radio services on an international level. The chapter focuses on FCC Rules and procedures governing the installation and technical operation of uplink and downlink earth stations. The principal technical rules governing the operation of uplink earth stations have the purpose of minimizing interference to microwave receiving stations operating in the C band, 5925 to 6425 MHz. There are four rules that address the interference problem: site requirements, power limits, minimum elevation angle and antenna directivity. A licensed downlink station is required to meet strict technical standards with respect to site location, elevation angle, and antenna directivity.
