FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has announced that the Commission is to vote on an order to modernise its satellite spectrum-sharing rules—a change that 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. SpaceX had lobbied for such a move, suggesting it […]
To meet the growing demand for satellite connectivity services in the UK, comms regulator Ofcom has decided to make more spectrum available for satellite gateway earth stations. Satellite communication systems rely on gateway earth stations which enable large volumes of data to be transmitted between Earth and space, and then onwards to the internet or […]
The FCC is looking closely at certain satellite ‘guard bands’ which separate designated key frequencies in order to avoid unwanted interference. These bands are frequently used for TT&C, the jargon for Telemetry, Tracking and Command of satellites in orbit. The FCC issued one of its Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on March 5th asking stakeholders […]
Satellite operator SES has, until recently, explained that it favoured just 100 MHz of C-band upper segment being cleared for the FCC to auction. The FCC is required to complete its competitive bidding auction process no later than July 2027 for at least 100 MHz. A ruling is expected from the FCC during the second-half […]
The FCC has suggested selling off as much as 180 MHz of satellite upper C-band spectrum in its upcoming auction. However, satellite operator SES, which now controls the bulk of the spectrum likely to be auctioned, is appealing to the FCC to keep the auction to no more than 160 MHz. “Clearing the maximum 180 […]
January 9th saw the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approve a batch of major requests from SpaceX to increase the size of the Starlink broadband-by-satellite fleet. The decision is notable in that the FCC has wasted no time in coming to its decision, and the benefits to SpaceX are considerable. The FCC said that it has […]
Ofcom has proposed the next steps in plans that would see mobile masts and Wi-Fi routers in different locations, for the first time, be able to use parts of the same frequency band to transmit their signals, unlocking significant benefits for households, businesses and the wider UK economy. Historically, mobile and Wi-Fi services have had […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set June 2026 for its Auction 113 with bidding set to open on June 2nd 2026. The FCC issued its 276-page Public Notice on December 18th with guidance for how the auction will be handled. The filing window for interested parties opens on January 26, 2026, while ‘upfront’ pre-bidding […]
Denver-based satellite operator EchoStar has told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it had no intention of selling off its valuable spectrum, but said it did so due to uncertainty fuelled by the FCC’s investigation into its usage. EchoStar sold spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX. The FCC filing confirmed a meeting between EchoStar founder and […]
The race to bring satellite calls and texts to ordinary smartphones has begun, after UK comms regulator Ofcom announced its final decisions about how the technology can be rolled out. Mobile operators are now joining with satellite companies to deliver ‘direct-to-device services’ to everyday smartphones up and down the UK. This involves satellites hundreds of […]