§ 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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