FCC may ease satellite power limits

The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on April 30, 2026 on a rule change that sounds tiny but could raise the signal strength of low-Earth-orbit internet satellites without launching a single new spacecraft. The agency’s draft says today’s limits were built around “theoretical designs” from an earlier era and now act as a brake on faster service. (fcc.gov) The fight is about something called equivalent power flux density, which is basically a cap on how much radio energy a satellite system can pour into the sky and down toward Earth in shared bands. Think of it like a volume limit in an apartment building: one tenant can talk, but not so loudly that everyone else hears static through the walls. (fcc.gov) Those limits were designed to protect geostationary satellites, which sit about 35,786 kilometers above Earth and appear fixed over one spot. Newer low-Earth-orbit constellations like Starlink fly much lower and move constantly, so they use narrower beams and different traffic patterns than the old rules assumed. (fcc.gov) The Federal Communications Commission now says the old formula “overprotects” legacy systems and blocks newer networks from using spectrum more intensively. Its draft order would replace the old cap-based framework with performance-based protections aimed at preventing actual harmful interference instead of assuming the worst on paper. (fcc.gov) That matters because Starlink sells a monthly broadband subscription, not a one-time rocket ride. If each satellite can deliver more data over the same licensed spectrum, the company can serve more customers per beam and improve speeds in crowded cells without waiting for another launch campaign. (reuters.com) Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said the change could allow “greater and more intensive use” of satellite spectrum, with the agency arguing it would mean faster speeds, lower costs, and greater reliability. Reuters reported the measure would be a major boost for services such as SpaceX’s Starlink. (reuters.com) The opposition comes from companies that use geostationary satellites, because they worry a looser regime will raise interference risk for systems already in orbit. PCMag reported that rivals have argued the rewrite favors low-Earth-orbit operators and could make shared spectrum noisier for incumbents. (pcmag.com) This is also bigger than SpaceX because Amazon’s Project Kuiper and other low-Earth-orbit networks would get the same regulatory opening if they operate under the new framework. The Federal Communications Commission’s fact sheet says the order covers spectrum sharing between geostationary orbit and non-geostationary orbit fixed-satellite systems, which is the core rulebook for multiple constellations, not one company. (fcc.gov) The reason investors care is simple: a rule that lets a satellite earn more revenue every month can be worth more than a single successful launch. In satellite broadband, better spectrum economics can show up as higher capacity, fewer congested users, and more recurring subscription revenue from rural areas that still have weak terrestrial options. (reuters.com)