§ 25.121   License term and renewals.

   (a) License Term. (1) Except for licenses for DBS space stations, SDARS
   space stations and terrestrial repeaters, and 17/24 GHz BSS space stations
   licensed as broadcast facilities, licenses for facilities governed by this
   part will be issued for a period of 15 years.

   (2)  Licenses  for DBS space stations and 17/24 GHz BSS space stations
   licensed  as  broadcast  facilities,  and for SDARS space stations and
   terrestrial repeaters, will be issued for a period of 8 years. Licenses for
   DBS space stations not licensed as broadcast facilities will be issued for a
   period of 10 years.

   (b) The Commission reserves the right to grant or renew station licenses for
   less than 15 years if, in its judgment, the public interest, convenience and
   necessity will be served by such action.

   (c) For earth stations, the license term will be specified in the instrument
   of authorization.

   (d) Space stations. (1) For geostationary-orbit space stations, the license
   term  will  begin at 3 a.m. Eastern Time on the date when the licensee
   notifies the Commission pursuant to § 25.173(b) that the space station has
   been successfully placed into orbit at its assigned orbital location and
   that its operations conform to the terms and conditions of the space station
   authorization.

   (2) For non-geostationary orbit space stations, the license period will
   begin at 3 a.m. Eastern Time on the date when the licensee notifies the
   Commission pursuant to § 25.173(b) that operation of an initial space station
   is  compliant with the license terms and conditions and that the space
   station has been placed in its authorized orbit. Operating authority for all
   space stations subsequently brought into service pursuant to the license
   will terminate upon its expiration.

   (e) Renewal of licenses. Applications for renewals of earth station licenses
   must be submitted on FCC Form 312R no earlier than 90 days, and no later
   than 30 days, before the expiration date of the license. Applications for
   space station system replacement authorization for non-geostationary orbit
   satellites shall be filed no earlier than 90 days, and no later than 30
   days, prior to the end of the twelfth year of the existing license term.

   [ 56 FR 24016 , May 28, 1991, as amended at  58 FR 68059 , Dec. 23, 1993;  59 FR 53327 , Oct. 21, 1994. Redesignated and amended at  62 FR 5928 , 5929, Feb. 10,
   1997;  65 FR 59142 , Oct. 4, 2000;  67 FR 12485 , Mar. 19, 2002;  67 FR 51113 ,
   Aug. 7, 2002;  68 FR 51503 , Aug. 27, 2003;  68 FR 63999 , Nov. 12, 2003;  72 FR 50027 , Aug. 29, 2007;  75 FR 45067 , Aug. 2, 2010;  79 FR 8317 , Feb. 12, 2014]

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