FCC Set to Supercharge Starlink Performance, Potentially Lower Costs

The Federal Communications Commission is moving to overhaul decades-old rules to “supercharge” satellite internet speeds for SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Leo, which could potentially lower their costs and spur new competition.

On April 30, the agency will vote on an order intended to modernize how older geostationary satellite systems share radio spectrum with newer, low-Earth orbit constellations like Starlink. 

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is already hailing the order as a way to lift “outdated power limits on satellite internet” for faster speeds. On Thursday, the Commission released the full text of the 67-page proposal, which mentions major enhancements bound to improve Starlink, the dominant satellite internet provider that’s already serving 10 million active customers around the globe. 

The proposal focuses on the “Equivalent Power Flux Density” (EPFD) rules, which were developed in the late 1990s, and limit the amount of energy satellite systems can transmit to and from ground equipment. In the text, the FCC says the current regulations have led the satellite industry to “overprotect” higher orbiting geostationary systems at the expense of newer constellations, such as Starlink, constraining their ability to deliver faster speeds. 

(Credit: Starlink)

The FCC decided to revamp the rules by declining to “establish aggregate limits or other limits” on low-Earth orbiting constellations such as Starlink. Instead, the goal is to loosen the rules so that geostationary and low-Earth orbit satellite operators engage in “good-faith coordination” and “bargain for appropriate interference protections through voluntary, private agreement.” If coordination can’t be reached, the FCC has imposed a series of “technical backstops” meant to prevent major signal degradation for geostationary satellites. 

The result means more low-Earth orbit satellites, like those from Starlink, can serve the same area, using higher power levels to boost speeds. “For example, when an NGSO [non-geostationary] system can employ eight satellites to provide service simultaneously in a given geographic area and frequency band, instead of being effectively limited to one satellite under current EPFD limits,” the Commission said. 

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This also means potential “capacity increases of 100% to 700%” using the same number of satellites, the FCC added. Conversely, a company could elect to use fewer satellites to serve each area, thereby reducing costs, which might trickle down to price reductions for consumers, the Commission said.

The FCC further noted competitors could “provide the same quality of service with a smaller constellation,” leading to other affordable alternative to consumers.

The proposed order is another win for SpaceX, which lobbied the FCC to loosen power limit rules, leading the Commission to kick off the process to examine the issue a year ago. In January, it granted SpaceX a time-limited waiver in the US to exceed the EPFD limits as it largely approved the company’s plan to offer gigabit speeds. The FCC granted the same waiver to Amazon’s Leo the following month. However, the proposal up for a vote on April 30 will supersede and replace the waiver, if approved. 

The Commission seems convinced newer technologies can prevent radio interference between the different satellite systems, citing real-world tests from SpaceX. Still, some companies objected to the FCC’s push to revamp the EPFD limits, including DirecTV, which warned about signal interference to satellite TV. However, the FCC is indicating there wasn’t enough technical evidence or interference studies to delay the new rules. 

The Commission also wrote: “As we move towards performance-based metrics based on real-world data and realistic interference concerns, any aggregate limits would run the stark risk of piling worst-case assumptions on top of one another to the detriment of efficiency and real-world costs.” Still, we’ll be curious to see if any companies weigh in with any objections before the vote takes place.

SpaceX hasn’t said when it might take advantage of the increased EPFD limits. But in regulatory filings in recent months, the company has been urging the FCC to ditch the old rules while bashing rivals who are against the change. “Legacy GSO satellites are no longer the only show in town—in reality, their relevance is rapidly fading, as innovation, growth, and dynamism in the satellite industry have heavily shifted to next-generation systems,” the company told the FCC last month.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Senior Reporter

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Experience

I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.

Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

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