FCC Analysis: Spectrum Modernization Order Would Unlock 700% More Satellite Broadband Capacity

Analysis published April 26, 2026 revealed that the FCC's upcoming Report and Order on satellite spectrum sharing (docket SB 25-157, scheduled for the April 30, 2026 Open Commission Meeting) would replace static Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) limits with a performance-based coordination framework. The proposed modernization is estimated to generate approximately $2 billion in economic value and unlock up to 700% more usable satellite broadband capacity. Under the new framework, Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) operators — including SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Kuiper — could negotiate private frequency-sharing agreements with terrestrial wireless providers, replacing worst-case interference protection limits that currently constrain deployed satellite density. The order's technical standards require that any sharing arrangement cause no more than 3% time-weighted average throughput degradation (long-term) and 0.1% absolute link unavailability increase (short-term) for Geostationary Orbit (GSO) satellite systems, protecting existing operators while unlocking capacity for new NGSO broadband entrants. If adopted, the rule would allow NGSO operators to deploy up to eight times more satellites per orbital shell — a structural change that could dramatically reduce per-user costs in underserved rural and remote markets across Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific.