The FCC has approved Starlink Gen2 speed, expected to boost satellite throughput by 20x, according to reports citing FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. This is projected to deliver faster internet with speeds up to 1 Gbps in some areas.
Summary Of FCCU Authorization
Expanded Constellation: The ruling authorizes SpaceX to deploy 7,500 additional Gen-2 satellites, bringing the worldwide total to 15,000.
Gen-2 satellites have higher data capacities, offer internet connections with lower latency (delay in data transmission), and operate on more radio frequencies and orbital paths than Gen-1 satellites.
Direct-to-cell service: The authorization enables new technical flexibility. These include direct-to-cell satellite services outside the United States and supplemental coverage within the US through a partnership with T-Mobile.
SpaceX must meet set deployment milestones: 50% of new satellites must be operational by December 1, 2028. The rest must be operational by December 1, 2031.
Space Safety: The FCC noted that SpaceX’s recent moves to lower the operational altitudes of its existing satellites demonstrate a commitment to space safety and debris mitigation.
For more updates on Starlink’s availability and improvements, visit the official Starlink website.
Starlink Has Received FCC Approval To Launch An Additional 7,500 Satellites Into Space, Which Will Enhance Coverage And Increase Speeds
This approval will bring the total number of Gen 2 satellites in orbit to 15,000.
SpaceX can launch another 7,500 Starlink satellites,
The satellites must all be in the sky by December 2031.
SpaceX currently has 7,500 Starlink Gen 2 satellites in orbit and has received FCC approval to launch 7,500 more, bringing the total to 15,000.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the decision in a statement on social media, further explaining that it will enable faster, more advanced internet services in the United States.
Gen 2 satellites accessed via a Starlink dish offer higher data transmission capacity and lower communication delay than first-generation models. These satellites can handle up to 20x more data and are designed to help connect devices to a network more quickly and easily.
Furthermore, the FCC has also authorized SpaceX to operate Starlink satellites across a wider spectrum of frequencies and in more orbital arrangements, which should improve reliability and service speed.
Concerns have been raised about orbital congestion, while SpaceX initially opposed the nearly 30,000 Gen 2 satellites in 2020. The FCC now considers it safe to increase the number from 7,500 to 15,000.
SpaceX has recently lowered the altitude of 4,400 satellites to reduce the risk of collisions with other satellites and space debris, including the International Space Station.
This development was likely considered by the FCC in its recent approval. The additional satellites will also support Starlink’s direct-to-cell connectivity efforts outside the United States. This is possible through a partnership with T-Mobile.
According to the IFCC, half of the newly approved satellites must be launched and in position by December 1, 2028. The remaining satellites must be operational by December 2031, so improvements in service may take some time to become noticeable.
The FCC has also approved SpaceX to operate most satellites approximately 200 kilometers (about 124 miles) closer to Earth, which should further lower the delay (latency). This approval allows deployment of up to 144 satellites in up to 72 orbital planes within the 340 km, 350 km, 355 km, and 365 km orbital zones, and up to 120 satellites in up to 56 planes within the 480 km and 485 km shells. Second-generation satellites may also continue operating at the higher range, up to 500 km.
SpaceX has also received a limited-time waiver to operate the Starlink network at higher power levels, which is expected to improve speeds. The FCC has begun a process to potentially update its rules on the equivalent power flux density limit. In the interim, the Commission states, “We believe that while this rulemaking is ongoing, it is in the public interest to grant SpaceX’s request for waiver to allow it to exceed the EPFD. The power flux density limit is given the benefits to SpaceX’s service and thus American consumers and the continued protection of (GSO) operators.”
Regarding spectrum, depending on the performance claims tied to approval, the regulator has approved many, but not all, of the radio bands SpaceX requested to enhance Starlink’s data download and upload capabilities.
Satellite industry analyst Tim Farrar expects the FCC order to significantly increase Starlink’s network capacity, which has been strained in some U.S. regions due to user overload.
Peak capacity in high-demand areas could be 5 times higher. Of course, you need to launch enough satellites to deliver that capacity. He told PCMag in an email: “It should allow for a considerable increase in the U.S. customer base, which is already likely closing in on 3 million subscribers, and it will make it far less likely that Starlink encounters any congestion on the network from high levels of aircraft used near hubs, which was an area where Viasat claimed to have an advantage.”
Farr also noted that the order allows SpaceX’s cellular Starlink system to use a portion of the 2 GHz spectrum it is acquiring from EchoStar. However, the FCC has only approved this radio frequency use outside the US. The commission is still reviewing the spectrum transfer. SpaceX has also proposed a 15,000-satellite constellation to utilize it.
This approval constitutes a major win for SpaceX, despite concerns from rival satellite companies about potential radio interference and restricted access to lower orbits. In response, the FCC imposed conditions requiring SpaceX to stop any harmful radio interference if it occurs. The commission also stated that SpaceX’s efforts to reduce light reflection from satellite links and to coordinate with astronomers continue to be sufficient to resolve concerns.
