GOODY: FCC Opens Up More Spectrum for Starlink, Low-Earth Orbiting Satellites.

On Thursday, the FCC unanimously voted to open 1,300 megahertz of spectrum in the 17.3 to 17.8GHz bands to non-geostationary satellites, which would include Starlink satellites that operate closer to Earth.

The goal is to foster competition and expand “the ability of satellite operators to deploy advanced services, including high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved areas,” the FCC says. The order specifically enables non-geostationary satellites to harness the 17GHz bands for downlinking purposes or to send data from space down to Earth. The spectrum would also be shared with higher-orbiting geostationary satellites, which got access in 2022.

So it’s possible the new rules could lead to a significant download speed increase for Starlink. During the vote, FCC staff explained the order will allow both stationary and in-motion devices to receive signals from satellites using the 17GHz spectrum. But it sounds like companies will first need to receive a license from the FCC.

SpaceX and Amazon’s Project Kuiper have been among the companies in support of freeing up the spectrum.

In the two-plus years I’ve had Starlink, download speeds have crept up from about 100 Mbps to 230-250. Latency is low enough that my teenage sons have never complained about lag on their PlayStation online games. Honestly, 100 Mbps met the needs of my very online family of four.

So I’m not sure what I’d do with even more speed but — bring it on!