The exploding number of satellite constellations, and growing national and international interest in a range of space initiatives from communications to climate change monitoring, have sparked a policy push to determine whether more spectrum is needed to power space activities and if so, in what bands. This research note considers… Read more...

While the rate of mobile data traffic consumption appears to be slowing, there are disagreements about what data consumption will be at the end of the decade. This research note considers different predictions, and how they may impact future policymaking in the 6G era. Read more...

This page will be updated soon. The satellite Agenda Items aim to increase the amount of spectrum available for satellite services and/or to relax the rules associated with these allocations. Three of them (AI 1.16, 1.17, and 1.19) directly respond to the growing demand for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) mega-constellations. Read more...

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Regulators are beginning to tackle the controversial practice of re-using terrestrial spectrum for satellite direct-to-handset services. In terms of spectrum-related priorities, satellite firms have successfully held a 12 GHz reallocation in the US, while they fight to keep mobile out of the 6 GHz band going into WRC-23. Read more...

With its merger with OneWeb still pending, French satellite firm Eutelsat has bid to be a part of the European Commission's new IRIS² initiative. Read more...

Well known for serving the aviation and maritime industries, Inmarsat is now being acquired by another geostationary (GEO) satellite operator, Viasat. Read more...

Lynk is developing a satellite-direct-to-phone service that re-uses terrestrial spectrum to enhance coverage. Despite global regulatory uncertainty about this strategy, the company recently received a commercial licence to launch its service outside of the US. Read more...

Now present in 54 countries, Starlink is a high-speed, low-latency broadband network using NGSO LEOs to provide broadband connectivity globally. Starlink satellites are using spectrum resources in the Ka- Ku- and V-bands. Starlink also has plans to use E-Band spectrum for communications between satellites and gateways and V2 Mini satellites.… Read more...

Amazon’s Project Kuiper’s first-generation LEO constellation will use frequencies in the Ka-band to provide fixed and mobile satellite services (MSS and FSS). Amazon is also seeking permission from US regulator the FCC to use V- and Ku-band spectrum. In February 2023, Amazon received final approval from the FCC for its… Read more...