New FCC Satellite Rules Could Improve Starlink Capacity to a Surprising Degree
The FCC has approved updated satellite spectrum-sharing rules, replacing a 1990s-era framework that limited low-Earth orbit satellite signal strength to prevent interference with geostationary satellites. The change could increase satellite broadband capacity by up to sevenfold, enabling faster speeds and lower costs for consumers. Modern satellite designs and testing by companies like SpaceX demonstrated that greater spectrum sharing is feasible without significant interference.
- ▪The FCC voted to modernize the Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) rules, originally designed in the 1990s to prevent signal interference.
- ▪SpaceX argued the old rules hindered innovation and protected outdated geostationary satellite systems.
- ▪Tests by SpaceX showed low-Earth orbit systems could increase satellite connections by 700% without major interference.
- ▪Companies like Amazon and AST SpaceMobile also stand to benefit from the updated regulations.
- ▪Viasat opposed the changes, warning of increased interference and market consolidation in favor of SpaceX.
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Federal regulators just approved a major upgrade to satellite internet services, ditching a decades-old rule that restricted how low-Earth orbit satellites could transmit signals to avoid interfering with other satellites. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on Thursday to modernize its satellite spectrum-sharing rules, which could increase capacity for space-based broadband services by up to sevenfold. “This is a major step toward enhancing the satellite broadband experience for millions of Americans by enabling faster speeds, lower costs, and greater reliability,” the FCC wrote in a…
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