“Americans are now about to see a big upgrade,” said FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
The commission introduced the new rules earlier this month before approving them at a Thursday meeting. The revamp targets the Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) rules, which were developed in the late 1990s and limited the amount of energy satellite systems could transmit to and from ground equipment.
The regulations were also designed to prevent radio signal interference between higher-orbiting geostationary satellites and lower-orbiting systems. But during the vote, Carr said the decades-old existing rules were “holding back” newer satellite internet offerings.
“Modern satellite designs make it far easier to share spectrum than what yesterday’s regulations assumed. We can do a lot better,” he said.
Brendan Carr (Credit: Al Drago/Getty Images)
Carr touted the 7x increase when the commission found the revamped rules could enable “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 FCC reached that conclusion after SpaceX conducted real-world tests that showed a low-Earth-orbiting system could increase the number of satellites serving a region by “700%,” from one to eight, without causing much interference.
The commission added that the increased satellite use “immediately boosts capacity, which translates to faster broadband speeds for American consumers. Increasing the capacity available to any location can improve quality of service or allow competitors to provide the same quality of service with a smaller constellation, which could potentially lower prices to consumers.”
The rule change also benefits Amazon’s upcoming Starlink challenger, Leo, which supported updating the spectrum-sharing policy. Amazon VP for Public Policy, Brian Huseman, said: “This step forward will help provide internet access for underserved communities.” Leo is slated to officially launch this summer.
It’s unclear when SpaceX will start taking advantage of the new rules. But the company’s VP for satellite policy, David Goldman, applauded the FCC vote, tweeting: “FCC’s rule change for next-generation satellite systems will bring help to those who need it most. Exactly. Huge!”
Although Starlink has been mostly seen as a solution for rural and remote communities lacking access to high-speed internet, Carr suggested that SpaceX’s satellite internet system could also go toe-to-toe with traditional ISPs, noting: “increasingly, satellite is competing with them all.”
“Satellite broadband is a real and growing competitor in the connectivity marketplace,” Carr added, later saying that the revamped rules “will allow satellite operators with greater parity alongside terrestrial broadband offerings.”
Recommended by Our Editors
SpaceX has been aggressively promoting Starlink discounts, including offering its Residential 100Mbps plan for $35 per month for the first four months. It’s also boosting its presence through new partnerships, like using Boost Mobile stores to sell its satellite internet service. However, in other parts of the US, Starlink’s network capacity is oversubscribed, forcing the company to charge one-time demand surcharges for access to the Residential plans.
In the meantime, Carr suggested that he views the new rules as a way to nudge other countries to update their own regulations on satellite power limits. “This is also about American leadership,” he said. “US companies are leading the world in next-gen satellite services. We should have a regulatory framework that matches that energy, not one that slows it down.
“We’re not going to leave Americans stuck and waiting on the wrong side of the digital divide while other countries debate whether or not they want these same types of next-gen services operating in their parts of the world,” he added. “We’re going to act now in the interests of the American people.”
Amazon VP Brian Huseman also noted: “We encourage regulators worldwide to support EPFD modernization so satellite broadband can reach the billions of people who still lack reliable connectivity. It could increase broadband capacity by 180% and potentially unlock $100 billion in economic activity globally.”
The FCC adopted the new rules with editorial privileges, meaning it can revise certain parts of the original order. At least a few companies, including DirecTV, urged the commission to make changes to mitigate potential interference. But SpaceX pushed back on DirecTV, claiming it was an attempt to “sabotage” the updated rules.
“DirecTV seeks to impose unnecessary operational restrictions on next-generation systems—notwithstanding that the point of this proceeding is to remove unnecessary and over-protective constraints,” SpaceX alleged.
About Our Expert
Principal Reporter
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. In 2024 and 2025, 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 the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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