The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ("MIIT") has recently issued the Provisions on Simplified Procedures for International Filing of Satellite Networks (for Trial Implementation) (the "Provisions"), effective from August 1, 2019.
The Provisions expressly state that the simplified procedures apply to the pre-published data and coordination data of satellite networks to operate in the unplanned bands, or PART A data of satellite networks to run in the planned bands, provided that one of the four given requirements, e.g. the satellite network is associated with a major satellite project approved by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, is fulfilled. The filing of satellite networks involving Hong Kong and Macao shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Mainland and of Hong Kong Special Administration Region and Macao Special Administrative Region. In addition, the Provisions emphasize that domestic coordination of satellite networks shall be completed no later than one month prior to the review aimed at delivering the satellite out of the factory or granting the satellite launch permit. Upon completion of domestic coordination and necessary international coordination, an application may be filed to submit notification data for the satellite networks, before launching and putting the satellite into operation. The consequences arising from the uncompleted domestic coordination, including failure to launch the satellite, to submit the notification data or to have the satellite system function normally, will be borne by the satellite operator itself.