(Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Federal Communications Commission has voted to revisit its satellite radio spectrum rules, which could boost internet speeds for SpaceX's Starlink.
Today, the FCC unanimously voted to review the two-decades-old spectrum sharing rules for satellites following a petition from SpaceX, which has criticized reliance on ancient regulations. Commissioners agreed, saying "outdated power restrictions adopted decades ago represent the greatest limitation on modern commercial satellite capabilities."
FCC Chair Brendan Carr also said the review is needed to help ensure the US remains the leader in satellite technology. "And let’s not forget: winning in space is both an economic and national security imperative," he said in prepared remarks.
Although Carr didn’t refer to Starlink by name, he did allude to how the existing rules can prevent today’s satellite services from reaching their full potential. “The power limits developed in the 1990s hamper satellite broadband by degrading signal quality, reducing coverage, limiting capacity, and making it harder to share spectrum with other satellite systems,” he said.
SpaceX requested the review as it works to offer gigabit internet through Starlink, which currently provides broadband speeds closer to 100 to 200Mbps. The company has urged the FCC to update a specific rule concerning the "equivalent power flux density limits," which regulate the amount of energy a satellite can transmit to and from ground equipment. To follow the limit, a constellation can reduce the satellite's signal quality, restrict the number of satellites that serve an area, and impose "avoidance angles” to prevent interference with higher geostationary satellites.
(Credit: FCC/SpaceX)The FCC initially adopted the limits to prevent low-Earth orbiting satellites, which now include Starlink, from interfering with geostationary orbiting satellites. But SpaceX has told the FCC that Starlink can operate “in excess of the current EPFD downlink limits while still protecting GSO (geostationary orbit) operations in the United States from harmful interference."
In response, the FCC says its review will look at relaxing the power restrictions for next-generation satellite internet services in the Ka- and Ku-bands, which Starlink and Amazon’s rival Project Kuiper use.
The review process could last over a year as the FCC solicits public comment and considers changes. SpaceX has also noted that rival satellite companies, including EchoStar, Viasat, and OneWeb, previously opposed the company’s request to waive the outdated EPFD downlink limits. So expect the review process to unleash some regulatory bickering from satellite players.