by Jason Rainbow — July 26, 2021

TAMPA, Fla. — British telecoms regulator Ofcom is proposing rule changes that would affect Starlink, OneWeb and other satellite constellations operating in non-geostationary orbits (NGSO).

It is increasingly difficult for companies to agree on how to operate their NGSO networks without causing harmful radio interference to each other, Ofcom warned in a July 26 consultation document it issues before creating new rules. 

NGSO operators are required to coordinate their networks under International Telecommunication Union (ITU) radio regulations; however, Ofcom pointed to how “in many cases” these arrangements have not yet concluded.

“This creates a risk that interference between NGSO networks could cause localised degradation to the quality and reliability of these services,” it stated.

SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is currently estimated to exceed 1,600 satellites in NGSO, U.K.-based OneWeb has 254 and Canada’s Kepler Communications is operating around 15. All aim to expand their network significantly.

Canada-based Telesat, Amazon’s Project Kuiper and other NGSO ventures are racing to join them with large constellations of their own in low Earth orbit.

Ofcom proposes new checks on interference risks when it considers NGSO license applications and more powerful tools to deal with them if they emerge.

It said it is also seeking greater visibility into license applications in a public comment period that ends Sept. 20.

Read more at: https://spacenews.com/u-k-to-strengthen-regulations-for-starlink-oneweb-and-other-ngso-constellations/

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ITU News interview Julie Zoller, who oversees the key regulatory affairs portfolio for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which aims to launch a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide low-latency, high-quality broadband connectivity worldwide. She previously served as chief government affairs officer at Omnispace, and in tech-related policy roles at the US State Department, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and at the US Department of Defense.

Snippet:

To deliver service, we’re building a constellation of 3236 satellites that will operate between 590 kilometres and 630 kilo‑metres in altitude. Operating in low Earth orbit (LEO) has the dual benefit of lower latency and shorter de-orbit times, which is good for customers and space safety.

Describe your typical day as Head of Global Regulatory Affairs.

In a typical day, I’ll have a staff meeting or attend a review, meet with my team to advance a particular regulatory matter, spend some time in one‑on‑one conversations with staff members, and read regulatory documents. Last July, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized us to deploy and operate the Kuiper NGSO (non-geostationary) system.

Getting our license was a major milestone, but we still have lots of work to do. We engage regularly in rule makings, and we’re currently conducting technical studies in preparation for the 2023 ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC‑23).

Article https://www.itu.int/en/myitu/News/2021/06/30/07/56/Satellites-connect-the-unconnected-Julie-Zoller

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Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/fcc-votes-approve-spacex-satellite-plan-official-2021-04-27/

Reuters, David Shepardson

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Tuesday it had voted to approve a SpaceX plan to deploy Starlink satellites at a lower earth orbit as part of the company’s push to offer space-based broadband internet service.

The decision, which Reuters reported earlier on Tuesday, includes a number of conditions to ensure the safety of the plan.

The approval order addresses some concerns raised by Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O) Kuiper Systems satellite project. The FCC said SpaceX has agreed to accept interference from the Kuiper system “where operating SpaceX’s satellites at lower altitudes will potentially make SpaceX more susceptible to interference.”

Elon Musk’s SpaceX had asked the FCC for approval to fly 2,824 additional satellites at a lower orbit as part of its space-based broadband internet service plan.

Read more at https://www.reuters.com/technology/fcc-votes-approve-spacex-satellite-plan-official-2021-04-27/

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Kymeta, a company that develops satellite antennas and services to bring connectivity to any vehicle or vessel, has raised $85.2 million in a round of funding led by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.

The raise comes as various high-profile companies are developing low earth orbit (LEO) satellite programs — including Amazon, which recently received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch a network of satellites to deliver high-speed broadband as part of Project Kuiper. Other notable players include Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is building out its Starlink internet service, and the heavily funded OneWeb, which is in the process of exiting bankruptcy with the backing of the U.K. government.

As more satellite-based internet goes online in the coming years, Kymeta is well-positioned to provide the infrastructure to capture this connectivity and deliver it to clients across industries. “When these microsatellite constellations go into space, our antenna will be essential to establishing connectivity from a moving satellite onto a moving vehicle,” Kymeta chief strategy officer Bill Marks told VentureBeat.

Read more at: https://venturebeat.com/2020/08/25/bill-gates-leads-85-2-million-investment-in-satellite-antenna-company-kymeta/?fbclid=IwAR3C7rv1KT6Fr6IwkPSqXocSgGKyKHJn_c2kfM12cWg1E63KKhcAbgDjlkY

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Amazon Web Services and Blue Origin could mean the satellite constellation becomes part of a larger ecosystem.

17 Aug 2020 | 19:00 GMT

By Michael Koziol

Amazon cleared an important hurdle when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on 30 July that the company was authorized to deploy and operate its Kuiper satellite constellation. The authorization came with the caveat that Amazon would still have to demonstrate that Kuiper would not interfere with previously authorized satellite projects, such as SpaceX’s Starlink.

Even with the FCC’s caveat, it’s tempting to imagine that the idea of putting a mega-constellation of thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide uninterrupted broadband access anywhere on Earth will become a battle between Jeff Bezos’ Kuiper and Elon Musk’s Starlink. After all, even in space, how much room can there be for two mega-constellations, let alone additional efforts like that of the recently-beleaguered OneWeb? But some experts suggest that Amazon’s real play will come from its ability to vertically integrate Kuiper into the rest of the Amazon ecosystem—an ability SpaceX cannot match with Starlink.

Read more at: https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/amazons-project-kuiper-is-more-than-the-companys-response-to-spacex

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on July 30 approved Amazon’s request to operate a constellation of roughly 3,200 internet satellites in low Earth orbit. 

The FCC said Amazon has until July 30, 2026 to launch at least 50% of its satellites in order to maintain its authorization, and until July 30, 2029 to orbit the full constellation. 

Amazon has not outlined a launch plan for Kuiper yet, and told the FCC its constellation is still being designed. The company said it anticipates launching Kuiper satellites in five waves and starting service once the first, comprised of 578 satellites, is in orbit. 

Read more at: https://spacenews.com/amazons-kuiper-constellation-gets-fcc-approval/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%94%20The%20U.S.%20Federal%20Communications,satellites%20in%20low%20Earth%20orbit.

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