Support Spectrum Abundance

Agenda Items 1.3, 1.10, and 1.18 concern opening 11,000 megahertz of satellite spectrum in millimeter-wave frequencies to support non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) gateway Earth stations that provide internet backhaul for fixed-satellite broadband and other services. Agenda Item 1.3 addresses V-band spectrum at 51.4 to 52.4 GHz, while Agenda Items 1.10 and 1.18 address E-band spectrum at 71 to 76 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 81 to 86 GHz (Earth-to-space), respectively.

These gateway Earth stations are the satellite equivalent of middle-mile fiber networks. They aggregate traffic from many users and use highly directional, high-gain beams to move data among satellite networks and internet exchange points, data centers, and other terrestrial infrastructure.

The need for additional gateway spectrum is increasingly evident. Studies submitted to the ITU-R before WRC-19 concluded that additional fixed-satellite service (FSS) spectrum would help make broadband connectivity more widely available and affordable, particularly through high-throughput satellite systems.⁶⁶ Since then, NGSO operators have consistently emphasized that V- and E-band spectrum is especially well suited for the narrow “pencil-beam” transmissions used for satellite data backhaul.

Agenda Item 1.3 examines opening 1 additional gigahertz of spectrum in the 51.4 to 52.4 GHz band for NGSO gateway operations. WRC-19 created an FSS allocation in this band but limited its use to geostationary orbit (GSO) systems and gateway Earth stations with antennas of at least 2.4 meters in diameter. Agenda Item 1.3 calls for compatibility studies that would extend access to NGSO gateway Earth stations, an overdue response to rapidly growing demand for low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services. Access to this band could help alleviate a looming shortage of gateway spectrum needed to move data between NGSO networks and the broader internet. Recognizing this need, the Federal Communications Commission’s WRC Advisory Committee recommended early support for Agenda Item 1.3.

Agenda Items 1.10 and 1.18 address sharing rules in E-band spectrum between NGSO systems and terrestrial services and passive sensors, respectively. The ITU allocated these frequencies on a co-primary basis to satellite services more than 25 years ago but only began studying detailed sharing frameworks after WRC-23. Because E-band operations rely on extremely narrow beams, sharing is often feasible even among systems operating in close proximity. In some circumstances, colocation may be possible.

Strong U.S. support for these agenda items would also align with ongoing FCC initiatives. The items closely mirror proposals in the FCC’s pending Satellite Spectrum Abundance proceeding and its earlier rulemaking efforts to expand coordinated sharing in the 71 to 76 GHz and 81 to 86 GHz bands.⁶⁷

The FCC observed in its Spectrum Abundance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that opening the 51.4 to 52.4 GHz band and other millimeter-wave frequencies to NGSO FSS operations would promote innovation and growth in next-generation satellite services. Just as increasing demand for LEO broadband services requires additional downlink capacity, it will also require substantial increases in gateway capacity to backhaul what could become exponentially larger volumes of data traffic.

Although the FCC is expected to approve domestic NGSO use of the 51.4 to 52.4 GHz band, international harmonization remains critical. Future growth in satellite traffic will be global, not merely domestic. The United States should therefore work to build a coalition capable of securing consensus support at WRC-27. There is little downside to making this spectrum available in anticipation of future demand. Combined with more efficient NGSO/GSO sharing rules, these additional 11 gigahertz of capacity can support more intensive spectrum use and significantly expand the capabilities of LEO satellite services worldwide.