The FCC, somewhat unusually, seems to have changed its mind and it is the world’s operators of Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites which could benefit.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said on June 9th that the Commission had changed the text on its draft order. “We did accommodate a request from a commissioner (Commissioner O’Rielly) to include potential low-earth orbit satellite competitors that might wish to participate in the auction,” he advised.

Chairman Pai said the agency will review applications to ensure that any proposed LEO technology “is able to do what it says it’s going to do”.

The decision is good news for the likes of SpaceX, Viasat, Telesat and perhaps others who want to be eligible for the FCC’s $20 billion – and it could be more – of special funding and subsidies for serving the USA’s rural and isolated communities with broadband services.

Other posts by :

1. Italy joins Germany in IRIS2 alternate thoughts
2. Kazakhstan to create museum at Yuri Gagarin launch site
3. AST SpaceMobile gets $42 or $1500 price target
4. Analyst: GEO bloodbath taking place
5. SES AGM results: Appaloosa still objecting
6. SpaceX’s Shotwell worth $1.2bn
7. SpinLaunch’s revolutionary plan for 280 satellites
8. Consolidation impacts satellite sector
9. Project Kuiper plans first satellite launch

Categories: Articles, Satellite

Tags: Ajit Pai, FCC, LEO, spacex, telesat, Viasat