The approval will let SpaceX deploy a batch of 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites, bringing direct-to-cell (DTC) connectivity outside the U.S. and supplemental coverage inside
In sum — what to know:
FCC greenlights new Starlink satellites: SpaceX gets approval from FCC to launch the second set of Gen2 Starlink satellites, bringing the total count to 15,000.
Terms of the order: The order allows SpaceX to operate on frequencies, Ku-, Ka-, V-, E-, and W-band — supporting both Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Mobile Satellite Service (MSS).
Huge network capacity boost expected: One industry analyst says the additional satellites may increase Starlink’s network capacity by as much as four or five times.
There are approximately 12,000 active satellites in orbit today, of which SpaceX owns a majority (66%). That number is about to bump up very soon. Last Friday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave SpaceX approval to launch another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites — bringing the total number of approved Gen2 satellites to a mind-boggling 15,000.
Under the order, SpaceX is authorized to construct, deploy, and operate the new tranche of satellites — with 50% ordered to be launched and operational by Dec 2028.
The FCC greenlight SpaceX’s first set of Gen2 satellites in Dec 2022, deferring action on the remaining batch at the time. The reason FCC cited was “concerns about orbital debris and space safety”.
With last week’s approval, the new batch of Starlink Gen2 satellites can operate across frequencies, Ku-, Ka-, V-, E-, and W-band — supporting both Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Mobile Satellite Service (MSS). SpaceX can also add new orbital shells between 340 km to 485 km.
The regulator said, “the Space Bureau has evaluated the real-world performance of the Gen2 Starlink satellites launched to date, and we find that authorization for additional satellites is in the public interest, even as the Gen2 Starlink Upgrade satellites remain untested on orbit.”
As of last Friday, FCC has also waived prior requirements that prevented overlapping beam coverage and capacity enhancements.
The new satellites can potentially increase Starlink’s network capacity dramatically as the approval comes with a time-limited waiver that allows it to operate at higher power levels. “It gives them basically what they need to move forward for the next 18 months or so,” Tim Farrar, satellite industry analyst, told RCR Wireless News. “They were getting close to having launched the 7,500 satellites that they’ve already been authorized for. [That] gives them another couple of years to operate at higher power levels and at lower altitudes that will increase the peak capacity within the U.S. quite significantly — potentially by as much as four or five times,” he predicted.
The addition of the new set of satellites will allow Starlink to provide Direct-to-Cell (D2C) connectivity outside the United States and supplemental U.S coverage. “Starlink has gone far beyond what others have accomplished in terms of delivering service to approximately 3 million subscribers [within the U.S.]. The approval will allow it to cater to almost twice that number,” Farrar predicted.
In total, SpaceX sought authorization for 29,988 satellites, of which the FCC has only approved 15,000 for now. “We defer authorization of the remaining 14,988 proposed Gen2 Starlink satellites, including satellites proposed for operations above 600 km,” the regulator said.
The approval marks a new milestone in satellite connectivity, as the administration deepens efforts to close the digital divide in rural areas. “This FCC authorization is a game-changer for enabling next-generation services,” FCC chairman Brendan Carr said. “By authorizing 15,000 new and advanced satellites, the FCC has given SpaceX the green light to deliver unprecedented satellite broadband capabilities, strengthen competition, and help ensure that no community is left behind.”
Not everyone agrees. Viasat, Globalstar, and several other providers have voiced their objections. Viasat filed a petition to deny the application over concerns of resource constraint. “This proposed expansion of SpaceX’s operating authority would give it an even greater ability and incentive to foreclose other operators from accessing and using limited orbital and spectrum resources on a competitive basis,” the company wrote in its petition.
The FCC approval comes after Starlink recently shared that it will lower 4,400 of its satellites operating at 480 km over concerns of space safety.
