Applying for Satellite Earth Station licences
A Permanent Earth Station (PES) is a satellite earth station operating from a permanent, specified location to a satellite, normally one which is in geostationary orbit. A PES is typically used to provide telephony and data backhaul, broadcast feeder links, private corporate networks or satellite telecommand and control.
A Satellite (Permanent Earth Station) licence is often referred to as a site licence or shell licence for permanent earth stations. The licence can incorporate any number of permanent earth stations that are located within 500 metres of a nominated centre point for the licence.
To apply for individual permanent earth station deployments for a site licence, please specify each one in a separate spreadsheet that you can request by emailing spectrum.licensing@ofcom.org.uk. For licensing purposes, an earth station deployment is a unique path between an earth station and a satellite. A separate spreadsheet is required to define each earth station deployment. If you wish to modify the technical parameters of an existing earth station deployment on a licence, please request a copy of the spreadsheet containing the parameters of the existing deployment.
Apply for the Issue or Variation of a PES licence (PDF, 334.6 KB)
A Transportable Earth Station (TES) is a satellite earth station operating from a specified location to a satellite in the fixed satellite service. TES operations are commonly associated with the broadcasting industry, where they are used to provide outside broadcast links either back to a studio or directly to a broadcasting satellite. Installations range from small fly-away terminals to large vehicles.
Apply for TES Clearances Online
Licensing procedures manual for Satellite (Transportable Earth Station) applications (PDF, 157.6 KB)
Clearance request for a Transportable Earth Station
(PDF, 290.7 KB)
A Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) operates as part of a network of terminals where all traffic is routed via satellite to and from a central control hub earth station. Applications include: consumer and SOHO broadband; Point of Sale communications; private corporate networks; and remote monitoring for the utilities industries.
Policy guidance regarding authorisation for Earth Stations on Vessels (ESVs) (PDF, 70.0 KB)
Licensing Procedures Manual for Satellite (Network Earth Station) applications (PDF, 216.7 KB)
A Non-Geostationary Earth Station is a satellite earth station operating from a permanent, specified location for the purpose of providing wireless telegraphy links with one or more satellites in non-geostationary orbit.
A Satellite (Non-Geostationary Earth Station) licence is often referred to as a site licence or shell licence for earth stations. The licence can incorporate any number of earth stations that are located within 500 metres of a nominated centre point for the licence.
To apply for individual earth station deployments for a site licence, please specify each one in a separate spreadsheet that you can request by emailing spectrum.licensing@ofcom.org.uk. For licensing purposes, an earth station deployment is a unique path between an earth station and a satellite. A separate spreadsheet is required to define each earth station deployment. If you wish to modify the technical parameters of an existing earth station deployment on a licence, please request a copy of the spreadsheet containing the parameters of the existing deployment.
Apply for a new site licence for earth stations or apply to vary an existing licence (PDF, 341.0 KB)
A Non-Fixed Satellite Earth Station is a satellite earth station operating from a permanent, specified location for the purpose of providing wireless telegraphy links with one or more satellites in frequency bands not allocated to the fixed-satellite service.
A Satellite (Non-Fixed Satellite Earth Station) licence is often referred to as a site licence or shell licence for earth stations. The licence can incorporate any number of earth stations that are located within 500 metres of a nominated centre point for the licence.
To apply for individual earth station deployments for a site licence, please specify each one in a separate spreadsheet that you can request by emailing spectrum.licensing@ofcom.org.uk. For licensing purposes, an earth station deployment is a unique path between an earth station and a satellite. A separate spreadsheet is required to define each earth station deployment. If you wish to modify the technical parameters of an existing earth station deployment on a licence, please request a copy of the spreadsheet containing the parameters of the existing deployment.
Generally, receive-only earth stations are exempt from licensing and as such are not taken into account when Ofcom makes frequency assignments to other services. For those operators who require protection for ROES in the bands 1690 – 1710 MHz, 3800 – 4200 MHz, 7750 – 7900 MHz and 25.5 – 26.5 GHz, it is possible to apply for a grant of Recognised Spectrum Access (RSA).
A grant of RSA for ROES can incorporate any number of receive-only earth stations that are located within 500 metres of a nominated centre point for the grant.
To apply for individual RSA for ROES deployments, please specify each one in a separate spreadsheet that you can request by emailing spectrum.licensing@ofcom.org.uk. An earth station deployment is a unique path between an earth station and a satellite. A separate spreadsheet is required to define each earth station deployment. If you wish to modify the technical parameters of an existing earth station deployment on a licence, please request a copy of the spreadsheet containing the parameters of the existing deployment.
Fees for Grant of RSA for ROES (PDF, 90.0 KB)
Procedures Manual for Grant of RSA for ROES (PDF, 121.9 KB)
GNSS repeater equipment consists of an external antenna for the reception of the GNSS signal; an amplifier (with a restricted maximum gain), connected via cabling to a second antenna inside a building. This re-radiates the GNSS signals inside a building allowing, within a limited distance of that transmit antenna, the continued operation of GNSS receivers.
OfW 524 Guidance on the licensing of GNSS repeaters (PDF, 66.3 KB)
Application Form for a GNSS Repeater Licence (PDF, 579.5 KB)