FCC considers releasing more spectrum for Starlink to boost download speeds

The FCC is considering allowing non-geostationary satellite internet service providers like SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper access to the 17GHz range.

Sunday, August 7, 2022 | Chimniii Desk

The 17GHz radio spectrum, which the FCC is considering opening up to low-Earth orbiting satellite internet providers, may be the subject of the next legal struggle facing SpaceX's Starlink.

The FCC updated(Opens in a new window) its regulations today to allow downlinking operations on the 17GHz band by higher-orbiting geostationary satellites. This implies that they can transmit data to the Earth, including for internet access, while sharing the spectrum with current TV broadcasting satellite services.

According to the FCC, the modification should provide "increased downlink capacity for high-throughput satellite communications." The US regulator is now thinking about opening up the 17GHz access to non-geostationary (NGSO) satellite services, such Starlink from SpaceX and Amazon's planned Project Kuiper.

The FCC states in its rule-making that it is seeking feedback on how it should distribute the spectrum without hurting existing customers, as well as technical studies. SpaceX, Amazon, and UK satellite internet provider OneWeb, among others, wrote to the FCC before Wednesday's vote urging the agency to provide low-Earth orbiting satellites access to the spectrum.

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SpaceX told the FCC in April that it agreed with Amazon that timely access to the 17GHz band was essential for satellite operators to meet the rising demand of American consumers for next-generation broadband connectivity wherever they were.

Due to the already restricted access to other radio frequency bands, SpaceX claims that there may be a bottleneck in the company's ability to provide high-speed, low-latency internet through Starlink. For residential users, the Starlink system can now deliver download speeds of up to 200 Mbps. However, SpaceX intends to increase the rates to 1Gbps in the long run.

Amazon claimed that opening up the 17GHz spectrum will "bring more stable connection to benefit Americans" in its own letter from May. We commend the FCC's decision to consider expanding access in the 17GHz band for NGSOs, the business noted in a tweet on Wednesday.

The business noted, "Closing the digital divide, particularly for consumers in rural and isolated locations, is a major aim of Amazon's Project Kuiper. Expanding the capacity of next-generation broadband satellite services will assist achieve this goal."

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The concept is opposed by AT&T, the company that owns DirecTV, since it fears that sharing the spectrum may cause satellite TV services to experience interference. "Neither the Commission nor international authorities have evaluated the technical viability of NGSO operations in the 17.3-17.7GHz range," the business has informed the FCC. Non-geostationary satellites should only have access to the spectrum on a "secondary basis," according to HughesNet's parent company.

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The news breaks as Dish Network, which wants to use the same radio bandwidth to create a 5G cellular network, battles SpaceX for control of the 12GHz range. However, SpaceX has cautioned that doing so could render Starlink useless. Both parties present their arguments in public remarks and regulatory filings as the FCC considers the situation.