FCC Set To “Supercharge” Starlink Space Internet With “Seven-Fold More Capacity”

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr wrote on X that the agency will vote late this month on an order aimed at “supercharging” internet access by scrapping outdated power limits on satellite broadband, unlocking faster speeds, greater capacity, and more reliable service.

On April 30, the FCC will vote on “Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband,” which would “promote efficient spectrum sharing between geostationary and non-geostationary satellite systems” and, in the FCC’s own words, would “unlock more than $32 billion in economic benefits for the American people and up to seven-fold more capacity for space-based broadband services.” 

NEWS: On April 30th, the FCC will vote to overhaul decades-old rules to “supercharge” satellite internet speeds for SpaceX’s @Starlink and Amazon’s LEO.

If approved, capacity increases of 100% to 700% using the same number of satellites could be possible, the FCC said.… pic.twitter.com/4asX90lSXw

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) April 9, 2026

FCC explained more:

Drawing from the state-of-the-art in satellite technology, the FCC’s new technical rules would revise the decades-old framework for how Geostationary Orbit (GSO) and Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) systems share spectrum. That 1990s-era framework predates the revolutionary changes in spectrum sharing technology that have been developed in the decades since.

The FCC’s new framework will enable faster speeds, lower costs, and greater reliability, representing another step to ensure that consumers benefit from competitive and affordable Internet options.

The move to modernize satellite internet is a big win for consumers, as it will hopefully increase upload and download speeds while lowering access costs.

Beyond consumers, the major winner is SpaceX’s Starlink internet company, which has more than 10 million customers worldwide, nearly 4 million of whom are in North America (the US, Canada, and Mexico, with the US making up the vast majority).

The FCC is moving fast to unleash affordable, high-speed Internet. By discarding last century’s satellite regulations, we could see billions of dollars in benefits for the American economy and broadband speeds many times faster than what is available today,” Carr wrote in a statement. 

He continued, “This overdue rethinking of space spectrum sharing rules will bring greater competition to the broadband marketplace and reduce the number of satellites needed to serve a given area.”

Great timing on modernizing space internet ahead of the SpaceX IPO, which is currently in nonpublic review with the SEC and slated for a public market listing in June.

Remember when the Biden-Harris regime tried to modernize broadband by spending $42 billion and connecting zero people. 

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