Tag: FCC
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FCC Greenlights Reflect Orbital’s 18m Sun Mirror Sat
Does the FCC Have Authority to Regulate Space-Based Sunlight Mirrors? The FCC said no — and on July 9, it formally authorized Eärendil-1, Reflect Orbital’s 142-kilogram demonstrator satellite equipped with an 18-meter-per-side thin-film reflector designed to bounce sunlight onto nighttime regions of Earth. The spacecraft is planned for launch later this year into a low…
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FCC Set to Vote on Satellite Licensing Reforms
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to vote later this month on a package of regulatory reforms designed to streamline the satellite licensing process and support the growth of the commercial space industry. SpaceTechnology FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the commission plans to consider the proposed Space Modernization Order during its meeting…
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EchoStar Subsidiaries File Chapter 11 to Restructure $10 Billion in Debt
EchoStar Corporation announced that its primary pay-TV broadcasting subsidiary, DISH DBS Corporation, along with certain wireless subsidiaries, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as part of a prepackaged restructuring designed to address approximately US$10 billion in debt. The cases were filed on June 30, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District…
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FCC Proposes Auction of 160 MHz in Upper C-Band Spectrum
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to vote on a proposal to auction 160 megahertz (MHz) of upper C-band spectrum, a move that would require satellite operators to clear frequencies by deploying new satellites and upgrading ground infrastructure. The proposal covers spectrum between 3.98 GHz and 4.14 GHz and is scheduled for a…
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Amazon, Globalstar, Iridium and Telesat Launch NGSO Satellite Trade Association
Amazon, Globalstar, Iridium and Telesat have formed the SpaceConnect Association, a new trade organization representing non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) operators. The association said it will work with governments, international institutions and industry stakeholders to promote a competitive satellite communications market and expand global connectivity. Former National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator David Redl has…
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FCC gives Amazon Leo more leeway on its satellite deployment schedule
Amazon Leo satellites are folded up in their dispenser, ready for deployment in low Earth orbit. (Amazon Photo) The Federal Communications Commission has freed Amazon from a requirement to deploy the first 1,616 satellites in its Amazon Leo broadband internet constellation by July 30. The looming deadline had been a condition of the FCC’s 2020…
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FCC Grants Amazon 50% Kuiper Deployment Extension to July 2027
How Did Amazon Secure Additional Time for Kuiper Deployment? The FCC granted Amazon a critical deployment deadline waiver for Project Kuiper on June 5, extending the company’s timeline to deploy 1,618 satellites—half its authorized satellite constellation—by July 30, 2027. The waiver comes with significant conditions limiting Amazon’s spectrum priority rights, potentially affecting the company’s competitive…
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FCC Dismisses SpaceX Spectrum Bids as D2D Market Consolidates
Why Did the FCC Block SpaceX’s Satellite Spectrum Challenge? The Federal Communications Commission has dismissed challenges by SpaceX and other companies seeking access to Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum, effectively protecting incumbent operators’ rights to frequencies increasingly valuable for Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity. The FCC ruling comes as the D2D market rapidly consolidates, with spectrum rights…
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FCC clears Amazon Leo to boost satellite broadband coverage and cover polar regions
An artist’s conception shows how additional Amazon Leo satellites would provide coverage in Earth’s polar regions. (Amazon Illustration) Amazon has won the Federal Communications Commission’s approval to go ahead with its plan to launch thousands of second-generation Amazon Leo satellites for its broadband internet network, even though the first-generation constellation is far from complete. The…
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SpaceX seeks go-ahead from the FCC to put up to a million data center satellites in orbit
This time-lapse image of Venus and the Pleiades shows the tracks of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. The image received an award in the 2021 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest. (Torsten Hansen / IAU OAE / Creative Commons Attribution) SpaceX founder Elon Musk wasn’t kidding about his plans to go big with orbital data centers: The company is…