TAMPA, Fla. — The Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted April 28 to review its satellite spectrum sharing rules, opening a new front in the power struggle between legacy operators in geosynchronous orbit (GSO) and non-GSO (NGSO) upstarts.
The agency adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to explore updating Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) limits, set up more than 30 years ago to regulate how strong NGSO signals can be to avoid disrupting GSO satellites flying overhead.
These power limits “hamper satellite broadband by degrading signal quality, reducing coverage, limiting capacity, and making it harder to share spectrum with other satellite systems,” FCC chair Brendan Carr said in a statement.
“Back then, high-speed satellite broadband was considered the stuff of science fiction and the ability to share between satellite systems was primitive. Fast forward to today, and breakthrough advances enable efficient spectrum use and sharing, making satellite broadband a real competitive option.”
Spectrum battle
NGSO operators such as SpaceX, which owns the world’s largest constellation with more than 7,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, argue that loosening EPFD rules is critical to unlocking the full potential of new Ka- and Ku-band services.
SpaceX petitioned the FCC for the review, part of a broader strategy to improve capacity and lower latency through next-generation satellites.
However, some GSO players warn that changes could compromise critical services from their orbital perch 36,000 kilometers above Earth, including search and rescue, while stifling innovation and future investments in their part of the industry.
“The real threat to long-term innovation and competition comes from companies seeking to significantly narrow the communications lanes in space that their competitors use,” said one satellite industry executive via email on condition of anonymity.
“This looks like a move to hobble competitors rather than a genuine issue to be addressed for the good of the whole industry!”
While GSO satellites have historically formed the backbone of global communications infrastructure, particularly in underserved and remote areas, NGSO systems that are better suited for low-latency services have been gaining momentum in recent years, led by Starlink.
Only six commercial GSO communications satellites were ordered in 2024, the lowest total in two decades and far from the 15–20 orders that used to be typical annually.
GSO operators say their systems remain more efficient for handling demand spikes in high-traffic areas like airports, even as emerging NGSO players gain momentum to challenge Starlink’s dominance — including Amazon, which recently deployed the first 27 of more than 3,200 planned Project Kuiper broadband satellites.
Multiple fronts
The FCC’s NPRM follows a separate EPFD waiver request from SpaceX, submitted last year alongside broader proposed modifications for its second-generation Starlink constellation, or Gen2, aimed at upgrading broadband performance.
A proposal to review EPFD rules was also one of the most divisive issues up for debate in 2023 during WRC-23, a quadrennial event run by an arm of the United Nations for updating global spectrum rules.
International regulators ultimately ruled that technical EPFD studies could advance without regulatory consequences, although NGSO and GSO players are divided over whether this leaves the door open to potentially relaxing rules as soon as 2027.
Opposing factions are currently skirmishing over the issue in working groups tasked with laying the groundwork for WRC-27.
Streamlining the FCC
Carr highlighted the EPFD review in an April 29 summary of progress made during his first 100 days as FCC chair.
He also pointed to several space-related initiatives aimed at modernizing the agency’s approach, including:
Initiating a proceeding that could open up more satellite C-band spectrum for terrestrial players.
Approved higher power levels to improve direct-to-smartphone satellite services operating in terrestrial spectrum, and green-lit a demonstration involving video calls connected via space.
Carr said the FCC has also taken multiple steps to streamline its review and approval processes, enabling the agency to process 85 space station and 904 Earth station applications since January 20.
