US set to ease power limits on space-based broadband

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, April 8 (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission is set to approve rule revisions this month to ease power limits on satellite spectrum use, giving a major boost to space-based broadband services such as SpaceX's Starlink.

The FCC said on Wednesday it would vote on April 30 on a measure allowing greater and more intensive use of wireless spectrum for space activities, potentially producing $2 billion in economic benefits from increased broadband use.

Existing rules approved in the 1990s limit power usage by Starlink and other systems, and the FCC said the proposed revisions could boost capacity for space-based broadband services to as much as seven times current levels, enabling higher speeds, lower costs and greater reliability.

The revised rules would allow users in rural and remote areas to receive the fastest space-based broadband, the commission said.

"By discarding last century's satellite regulations, we could see billions of dollars in benefits for the American economy and broadband speeds many times faster than what is available today," FCC Chair Brendan Carr said.

SpaceX filed a petition in August 2024 seeking rule changes and told the FCC last month that current rules "significantly overly restrict next-generation satellite systems, imposing massive unnecessary constraints that directly harm the millions of consumers reliant on these systems for high-speed broadband."

U.S. satellite operators Viasat and DirecTV have both raised objections about changing the rules, amid concerns over interference with their satellites from higher power levels.

The FCC in January approved SpaceX's request to deploy another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, which it said would provide direct-to-cell connectivity outside the United States and supplemental U.S. coverage. That would allow for next-generation mobile services as well as internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.

SpaceX has become the world's largest satellite operator through Starlink, a network of just over 10,000 satellites beaming broadband internet to consumers, governments and enterprise customers.