Licensing Domestic Satellite Earth Stations in the Bush Communities of Alaska

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a Report and Order that discontinue the Alaska Bush Earth Station Policy (Alaska Bush Policy), which precludes installing or operating more than one satellite earth station in any Alaskan Bush community for competitive carriage of interstate Message Telephone Service (MTS) communications, i.e., ordinary interstate, interexchange toll telephone calls. Alaska Bush communities, as defined for purposes of the policy, are rural Alaskan communities of less than 1,000 residents that are isolated from larger cities by rugged terrain and harsh weather conditions.