New FCC Spectrum Rules for Satellites Can Accelerate America’s Space Economy

The Federal Communications Commission is ready to move satellite internet broadband into the modern era.  “We’re all gas, no brakes, when it comes to the space economy,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in an April 14 interview on CNBC. 

Now the FCC is taking an important step: updating rules for how communications satellites share the electromagnetic spectrum allocated.  Spectrum deconfliction is based on a measure called Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD).  The current EPFD rule was written in 1997 and took effect in 2000.  Since then, needless to say, satellite technology has rapidly advanced. The FCC says that updating the rules “could unlock more than $2 billion in economic benefits for the American people and up to seven-fold more capacity for space-based broadband services.”  Diverse stakeholders have spoken out in favor of modernizing EPFD limits, and the item is top of the FCC’s agenda for its April 30 meeting. 

The FCC’s refreshing approach to accelerating the space economy is part of the Build America Agenda, and it comes at an important moment.  Satellite operators with constellations in low earth orbit are ready to offer much faster broadband internet connections to millions of Americans.  Ubiquitous connectivity is the stated goal of the FCC.  The FCC has long encouraged development of new broadband services for the American public, including space-based broadband. 

From a technical perspective, the 1997 framework was put in place to ensure that signals from satellites high up in geostationary orbit (GSO) would not be blocked out when more low-earth, or non-geostationary satellites began operating.  The EPFD rule was an arbitrary limit designed to fence off spectrum and to function without any need for coordination or adaptation.  At the time, the NGSO satellites were few in number. 

Then came Starlink.  Since the first launch in 2019, the constellation has grown to over 10,302 satellites.  Amazon Leo is also launching, with plans approved for a competitive constellation of over 7,700 satellites for space-based broadband delivery.  Super-fast broadband from space is here to stay. Indeed, the space economy is foundational for American prosperity.  In 2025, NGSO services were estimated to be growing at a 27% annual rate and projected to overtake traditional geostationary revenues by 2028. 

This is why the FCC is stepping forward with a proposed rule that will replace the old EPFD framework with “modern, performance-based GSO protection criteria that take account of the improved spectrum sharing possibilities that modern satellite technology has brought, including through use of adaptive coding and modulation (ACM),” the FCC announced.  “The new sharing regime builds on the Commission’s time-tested framework for good-faith coordination to allow NGSO and GSO operators to bargain for appropriate interference protections through voluntary, private agreements,” according to the FCC.

Most importantly, the FCC’s proposed change rests on solid science.  Current technology offers new ways to reduce and avoid harmful interference.  Examples include smaller, steerable beams on satellites to reduce overlap, and options for the geometry and design of new NGSO constellations.  NGSO systems with adaptive power control can adjust their transmit power based on their orbital position and proximity to GEO systems.  Operators of geostationary systems also have better techniques for preventing signal degradation. 

Don’t forget that the space economy is a sector where the U.S. still holds a commanding lead over China. Modernization of EPFD standards will help the U.S. expand its clear market lead in broadband access. This is imperative: China’s space sector has transformed from a small group of state‑owned enterprises into a vibrant ecosystem with over 500 space companies. The FCC is wise to open the door for American companies to build out their NGSO constellations.