• The FCC will vote on 30 September on opening more than 1,000MHz of additional spectrum for satellite connectivity
  • The proposals cover parts of the 12GHz and 42GHz bands but do not yet grant operators new spectrum rights

The fact

The US Federal Communications Commission said on 8 September that it will vote on proposals to open more than 1,000MHz of additional spectrum for satellite connectivity. The vote is scheduled for 30 September and covers spectrum in the 12GHz and 42GHz bands.

The FCC said the proposed changes could support satellite broadband and other space-based communications. Reuters reported that possible uses include household broadband, connectivity for aircraft and ships, and links used within satellite ground networks. The commission is also considering separate changes intended to speed up communications infrastructure permitting.

The proposals have not yet been adopted. No satellite operator has been granted new operating rights under the planned order, and no customer service has launched because of it. The FCC is separately seeking comment on changes to ultra-wideband device rules, which are not part of the satellite-spectrum decision.

The assessment

Satellite operators can begin looking at how the additional spectrum might fit future network plans, but they still need the final rules before designing services around it. Spectrum used for a household terminal, an aircraft connection or part of a ground network may come with different technical requirements. The headline figure of more than 1,000MHz therefore does not mean that every satellite service would receive that amount of usable capacity.

Equipment suppliers face the same uncertainty. They need to know which frequencies can be used for each type of link and what technical conditions the FCC attaches to them before radios, antennas and terminals can be specified for deployment. Even after a vote, operators would still have to incorporate the spectrum into their networks and make compatible equipment available.

For BTW readers, the 30 September vote is an important regulatory step, but it will not make new satellite capacity available overnight. The useful details will be in the adopted rules and the plans operators publish afterwards. Those will show which services can use the spectrum, what equipment is needed and when customers might actually be able to buy the added connectivity.

What to watch

Watch the 30 September vote and the final text of any adopted order, particularly the frequencies, permitted uses and technical conditions. Operator and equipment announcements will show which parts of the new spectrum are moving from regulatory approval towards commercial service.