Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In this document, the Space Bureau (Bureau or we) within the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) updates the initial set of geostationary (GSO) satellite network reference links adopted in the Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband Report and Order (Order). Ensuring the GSO reference links appropriately reflect typical and widespread GSO satellite operations in the United States will promote efficient spectrum sharing among today's broadband satellite systems.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 69725-69726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22600]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 25

[SB Docket No. 25-157; DA 26-973; FR ID 375524]


Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final action.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Space Bureau (Bureau or we) within the 
Federal Communications Commission (Commission) updates the initial set 
of geostationary (GSO) satellite network reference links adopted in the 
Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband Report and Order 
(Order). Ensuring the GSO reference links appropriately reflect typical 
and widespread GSO satellite operations in the United States will 
promote efficient spectrum sharing among today's broadband satellite 
systems.

DATES: Effective December 7, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clay DeCell, 202-418-0803.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission document 
(Public Notice), in SB Docket No. 25-157; DA 26-973, released September 
11, 2026. The full text of this document is available online at <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-973A1.pdf">https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-973A1.pdf</a>. The document is also 
available for inspection and copying during business hours in the FCC 
Reference Center, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. To request 
materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities, send an 
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#55131616606561153336367b323a23"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1b5d58582e2b2f5b7d7878357c746d">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs 
Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    The actions in the document have not changed, or proposed to 
change, our Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA), which was set 
forth in the Order (FCC 26-26) in Appendix C. Thus, no supplemental 
FRFA is necessary.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The action contained herein does not change, or propose to change, 
the information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), Public Law 104-13, contained in the 
Order (FCC 26-26). As a result, no new submission to the Office of 
Management and Budget is necessary to comply with the PRA requirements.

Congressional Review Act

    The Commission has determined, and the Administrator of the Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
concurs, that this action is non-major under the Congressional Review 
Act, 5 U.S.C. 804(2). The Commission will send a copy of the document 
to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A). The Office of the Managing Director, Performance 
Program Management, will also send a copy of the document in a report 
to be sent to Congress and the Government Accountability Office 
pursuant to the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

OPEN Government Data Act

    The OPEN Government Data Act requires agencies to make ``public 
data assets'' available under an open license and as ``open Government 
data assets,'' i.e., in machine readable, open format, unencumbered by 
use restrictions other than intellectual property rights, and based on 
an open standard that is maintained by a standards organization. This 
requirement is to be implemented ``in accordance with guidance by the 
Director'' of the OMB. The term ``public data asset'' means ``a data 
asset, or part thereof, maintained by the federal government that has 
been, or may be, released to the public, including any data asset, or 
part thereof, subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information 
Act (FOIA).'' A ``data asset'' is ``a collection of data elements or 
data sets that may be grouped together,'' and ``data'' is ``recorded 
information, regardless of form or the media on which the data is 
recorded.''

Synopsis

    Background. On April 30, 2026, the Commission adopted the Order to 
update its spectrum-sharing rules for GSO and NGSO satellite systems 
operating in the 10.7-12.7 GHz, 17.3-18.6 GHz, and 19.7-20.2 GHz 
(space-to-Earth) bands. The Commission concluded that the prior NGSO-
GSO sharing regime--based upon NGSO systems complying with equivalent 
power-flux density (EPFD) limits developed in the 1990s--was spectrally 
inefficient and overprotective of modern GSO networks. To better 
support efficient spectrum use and the competitive satellite market, 
the Commission adopted an alternative sharing framework, incorporating 
good-faith coordination and performance-based GSO protection criteria 
as a backstop when coordination between GSO and NGSO operators is not 
reached.
    Specifically, as an alternative to compliance with EPFD limits in 
the United States, the Commission adopted a procedure whereby an NGSO 
applicant may either certify that it has completed a coordination 
agreement with any operational co-frequency GSO satellite network or 
submit a compatibility showing which demonstrates that it will not 
cause unacceptable interference to any such system with which 
coordination has not been completed. To perform these compatibility 
showings, NGSO operators will rely on a set of GSO reference links, 
which reflect typical GSO operations in the U.S. and the resultant 
impacts on GSO systems from enhanced NGSO operations. Reference links 
are used by NGSO operators to demonstrate compliance with the long-term 
and short-term interference metrics, and the operational parameters of 
an NGSO system must ensure that the GSO protection criteria are 
satisfied at every reference link. In practice, as noted in the Order, 
there may be one protection criterion for one reference link that is 
the constraining factor on the operational parameters of a given NGSO 
system (referred to as the ``most sensitive link''). The operational 
parameters required to protect this most sensitive link as the worst-
case protection scenario will be the operational parameters that the 
NGSO system may employ when providing service anywhere in the United 
States. Consequently, all GSO links--regardless of whether they are 
included in the reference link dataset--will be protected by the 
operational constraints placed on NGSO systems to protect the most 
sensitive reference link. Indeed, the actual protection of GSO 
operations will often be greater than the protection levels adopted by 
the Commission.
    The Order adopted an initial set of 328 GSO reference links that 
were drawn from both International Telecommunication Union data and the 
Commission's licensing databases and were filtered for conformance with 
a set of selection criteria. The Commission concluded that reasonable 
selection parameters for the reference links were

[[Page 69726]]

necessary for efficient spectrum sharing. In adopting this initial set 
of reference links, the Commission also noted the potential for its 
further refinement, and delegated authority to the Bureau to initiate a 
proceeding by Public Notice to remove, revise, or add appropriate GSO 
links.
    On May 12, 2026, the Bureau sought comment on the initial set of 
GSO reference links, potential revisions to the dataset, and the 
accompanying selection criteria. The Public Notice asked for input and 
analysis on the dataset, including as to whether certain links or 
information should be added or removed from the database and on whether 
the selection criteria should be modified at this time. Nine comments, 
seven reply comments, and several ex partes were filed in response.
    Discussion. Based on the record, we update the initial set of 
adopted GSO reference links. We also add new links proposed by GSO 
satellite operators, correct parameters of links already included in 
the dataset, and remove outdated links and links operated outside of 
the United States, consistent with the selection criteria used for the 
initial set of reference links. The updated set of GSO reference links 
is included in an Attachment to the document. We conclude it is 
premature to make broader changes to the dataset or underlying 
selection criteria at this time and adopt the updated dataset using the 
selection criteria used for the initial set of links.
    First, GSO operators submitted a number of up-to-date reference 
links to reflect current operations that are consistent with the 
selection criteria used to create the initial dataset. In addition, one 
NGSO operator provided a set of proposed replacement reference links 
that it identified and selected using the Commission's licensing 
database for every authorized GSO operator in the 17.3-18.6 GHz and 
19.7-20.2 GHz bands (Ka-band). We have reviewed these proposed links 
and agree that they are reasonably representative of a variety of 
widespread GSO operations in the United States and appropriate for 
inclusion in the dataset.
    Second, further review of the initial set of reference links shows 
that certain links either reflect operations outside the United States, 
are unassociated with any current operator or operations serving the 
United States or were submitted for GSO networks that never began 
operations or ceased operations over a decade ago. We remove these 
legacy reference links considering the updated links from GSO operators 
that we add to the dataset. We also remove links for GSO operators that 
are either redundant or superseded by up-to-date links provided by 
those operators in the record.
    Third, we modify certain link parameters in the initial dataset 
that now appear to be either non-representative of typical operations 
or otherwise inaccurate. Specifically, commenters in response to the 
Public Notice point out several non-ACM links in the initial dataset 
with unusually high carrier-to-noise (C/N) levels of up to 18 dB. 
DIRECTV, one of the most widespread users of non-ACM links, states that 
such high C/N thresholds ``are not reflective of non-ACM operations.'' 
SpaceX proposes to apply a maximum unavailability C/N for non-ACM links 
of 9.5 dB, which DIRECTV supports for broadcasting-satellite service 
user links as consistent with its existing operations and network 
design. SpaceX further notes that of the 40 new non-ACM user terminal 
links submitted by GSO operators in response to the Public Notice, only 
three have unavailability C/N thresholds exceeding 9.5 dB, each of 
which appears to originate from a satellite that has surpassed its 
design lifespan. SES, which submitted the new high C/N links, argues 
that some of its GSO media distribution services rely on non-ACM links 
designed to achieve high availability levels and use an unavailability 
C/N threshold of 12.6 dB to maximize link capacity. We determine that 
higher C/N values appear to be relative outliers on older networks, and 
agree with DIRECTV and SpaceX that a 9.5 dB C/N threshold is a 
reasonable upper bound for modern, widespread and typical non-ACM user 
terminal links to facilitate spectrum sharing. Accordingly we 
incorporate the 9.5 dB C/N threshold into the revised dataset. 
Separately, we also modify certain parameters of Hispasat links to 
reflect corrections noted on the record.
    Fourth, we streamline the columns of the reference link dataset to 
clarify the necessary information, support coordination, and remove 
extraneous information not needed as input to the compatibility 
demonstrations.
    Finally, we decline to make broader changes to the dataset or 
selection criteria at this time. The Commission's Order ended over two 
decades of overprotective and spectrally inefficient restrictions on 
NGSO systems for the benefit of GSO networks. The new sharing framework 
has yet to be implemented, but the services available to consumers 
across the United States from fast-growing NGSO systems will be limited 
by the NGSO operational parameters necessary to protect the most 
sensitive link in the GSO reference link dataset. Given that 
determining the most sensitive link depends on several factors, we are 
wary of modifying or reducing the selection criteria and potentially 
introducing edge-cases into the analysis. Further, we note specific 
rationales to maintain contested criteria, and that to the extent that 
links which are not included in the dataset are no less sensitive or 
constraining for a particular NGSO system, they will receive protection 
levels equal to or greater than the GSO protection criteria adopted by 
the Commission. Further, the Commission has never concluded that even a 
GSO link that receives less protection than the levels set in the Order 
would be nonviable in specific use cases. Rather, we will address 
future updates to the dataset and be in a better position to reassess 
the protection criteria after we gain experience with its 
implementation. We will consider in particular any real-world 
operational information once the new rules are effective. We reiterate 
that operating NGSO systems may be required to adjust their operations 
to protect any new GSO reference links added in the future.

Federal Communications Commission.
Jennifer Gilsenan,
Deputy Chief, Space Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2026-22600 Filed 11-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P


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