FCC adopts rule expected to boost Starlink speeds, cut costs
FCC proposal could let Starlink use more satellites/higher power to boost speeds and cut costs, drawing some opposition.
A Federal Communications Commission order is poised to give SpaceX’s Starlink more flexibility in how it uses radio spectrum, a change the source article says could make the satellite internet service faster in some areas and potentially cheaper to operate.
The FCC was set to vote on the order on Apr. 30. According to the source article, the measure changes how older, geostationary satellite systems share spectrum with low-Earth orbit constellations such as Starlink.
Under the current rules described in the article, low-Earth orbit systems face limits on how much energy they can transmit to and from ground equipment in order to protect higher-orbiting systems. The new proposal would ease those limits and allow satellite operators to make private agreements on spectrum sharing.
That shift could affect performance and costs in two ways outlined in the source material. It would let systems like Starlink use more satellites in a geographic area, which could increase internet speeds there. It would also let an operator raise the power level for each satellite and deliver the same speeds with fewer satellites in a given area, which could reduce costs.
SpaceX pushed for the change, according to the article, and Starlink is mentioned in a footnote of the FCC text. The article also says both SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Leo systems already have temporary approval to exceed current power limits. If approved, the FCC proposal would make that arrangement permanent.
The proposal has drawn opposition from some existing satellite operators. The source article says DirecTV previously said its service could face disruptions if SpaceX is allowed to increase Starlink radio emission levels.
The full text of the FCC document is available on the agency’s website, according to the article.
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