TAMPA, Fla. – The Federal Communications Commission voted on September 26 to open more spectrum to Starlink and other non-geostationary satellite operators (NGSO) to improve broadband speeds in the United States.
The regulator voted unanimously to give non-GSO operators access to frequencies in the 17.3-17.7 gigahertz band for satellite communications provided to fixed points on Earth, such as a stationary residential antenna.
The decision provides 1,300 megahertz of contiguous spectrum in the 17 GHz band for non-GSO fixed-satellite services (FSS) operators, which they must share with geostationary peers while respecting power limits and other conditions.
“This action promotes spectrum efficiency, encourages competition, and expands the ability of satellite operators to deploy advanced services, including high-speed Internet access in unserved and underserved areas,” the FCC said. said in a press release.
Geostationary satellite operators EchoStar and DirectTV had argued that non-GSO operators should only have access to the spectrum on a secondary basis to avoid interference.
Following a public comment process after proposing the rules two years ago, the FCC ruled that non-GSO FSS downlinks in the 17 GHz band are compatible with mainstream GEO services on a co-primary basis.
However, the regulator also said that non-GSO FSS downlinks in the 17.7-17.8 GHz band could not claim similar interference protections from current and future terrestrial fixed service operations.
The FCC said the new rules are aligned with treaty-level agreements from the most recent World Radiocommunications Conference, an event hosted by the United Nations where regulators They seek to coordinate the use of radio waves globally..
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