(Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
SpaceX is making a new push to receive regulatory clearance to operate nearly 30,000 Starlink satellites in Earth’s orbit.
The company is making the request to the US Federal Communications Commission as part of an effort to upgrade the Starlink network to deliver gigabit speeds to users.
Last Friday, SpaceX revealed some of the plans in an earlier FCC filing, which requests to modify the second-generation Starlink network to harness additional radio spectrum and use lower orbits. This includes tapping E-band frequencies and operating Starlink satellites from around 530 kilometers down to 480 kilometers in orbit.
Today, the company made another FCC filing that requests even more radio spectrum and even lower orbits for the second-generation system. In addition, SpaceX is seeking permission to deploy up to 29,988 satellites, matching the number initially requested for its second-generation Starlink network. (Back in 2022, the FCC only granted permission for up to 7,500.)
In one of the documents, SpaceX notes the proposed changes “will enable the Gen2 system to deliver gigabit-speeds, truly low-latency broadband, and ubiquitous mobile connectivity to all Americans and the billions of people around the world who still lack access to adequate broadband.”
Specifically, SpaceX wants permission to orbit the company’s satellites between the 340- to 365-kilometer range, which CEO Elon Musk has brought up before in a bid to reduce Starlink’s latency to below 20 milliseconds.
(Credit: FCC/SpaceX)The other major request deals with radio spectrum, which Starlink satellites use to beam data to customers on the ground. In the filing, the company requests access to the “L-, S-, Ku-, Ka-, V-, and W-Band frequencies for communications between satellites and earth stations.”
“These additional frequencies will significantly improve the upload and download speeds of SpaceX’s earth stations, thereby allowing SpaceX to stay ahead of increasing demand from consumers, enterprises, and government users,” the company said.
SpaceX has indicated it’ll also deliver faster internet speeds through a fleet of more advanced V3 Starlink satellites, which will be launched into space using the company’s Starship vehicle. But a key question is whether existing Starlink dishes can access the improved speeds. So far, SpaceX hasn’t responded to a request for comment.
In the meantime, the company’s filing to the FCC says the proposed upgrades to the second-generation Starlink network won’t generate radio interference with other networks. But SpaceX’s rivals might object, as they have before in previous FCC filings.