• The FCC has relaxed low-orbit satellite restrictions
• It works out to a 7x capacity increase for internet satellites
• The move is welcomed by SpaceX and Amazon

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has delivered some good news to Elon Musk's Starlink and other satellite internet providers, by removing several key restrictions on how much energy satellites can transmit to and receive from ground stations.

Technically, these are the Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) rules set in the 1990s, as PC Mag reports. In simple terms, it means Starlink and others will be able to operate a much denser array of satellites for providing services to customers.

We're talking as much as a sevenfold increase in satellite network capacity, which should mean a connection that's more reliable and faster. However, it's going to take a while before satellite companies will be able to take advantage.

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"This is a major step toward enhancing the satellite broadband experience for millions of Americans by enabling faster speeds, lower costs, and greater reliability," says the FCC. "This change could also unlock more than $2 billion in economic benefits for the American people and up to seven-fold more capacity for space-based broadband services."

Sharing spectrum

The rules were introduced to prevent radio signal interference between satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) — also known as low-Earth orbit — from affecting geostationary satellites (GSO) higher in orbit. Now, both NGSO and GSO satellites will be able to share more of the communications spectrum.

It's a change that's been welcomed by Starlink's David Goldman, as well as Brian Huseman, a Vice President at Amazon — another company looking to build out a network of internet-providing satellites with Amazon Leo.

As Gizmodo reports, Viasat is one of the GSO satellite companies that has warned that the move could potentially lead to more interference without proper regulation. Viasat has also raised concerns about Starlink getting a monopoly on this particular market.

The view of the FCC is that modern satellites are designed to share spectrum more effectively than they did in the past, and the 1990s rules no longer apply. Starlink, owned by SpaceX, will no doubt be keen to get its next batch of satellites launched.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.