TAMPA, Fla. — A proposal to review satellite power limits set more than a decade ago to avoid signal interference between different orbits is one of the most divisive among operators ahead of WRC-23, a four-week meeting kicking off Nov. 20 in Dubai to update global spectrum rules.
These limits, known as Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) limits, cap non-geostationary satellite power to avoid disrupting the geostationary spacecraft they fly under while passing over the equator.
Approving the proposal to review EPFD rules at WRC-23 would see the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU) study these limits and — depending on the results of those studies — propose regulatory changes that would be up for debate at the next conference in 2027.
Amazon announced a coalition with three think tanks Oct. 31 to push delegations heading to WRC-23 to adopt the proposal to review EPFD rules, which were first put into radio regulations back in 1997 on a provisional basis.
The rules do not account for improvements in satellite technology and spectrum management principles over the years, according to the Alliance for Satellite Broadband, and ultimately reduce the availability and increase the cost of broadband services from non-geostationary orbit (NGSO).
Julie Zoller, head of global regulatory affairs for the Project Kuiper broadband constellation Amazon is plotting in low Earth orbit (LEO), said outdated EPFD rules constrain NGSO systems more than is necessary to protect their counterparts in geostationary orbit.
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Executives from satellite operators SES and Telesat sparred over the proposal to review EPFD rules during a Nov. 7 webinar on the WRC-23 agenda hosted by SpaceNews.
Luxembourg-based SES operates satellites in geostationary and medium Earth orbit. Telesat of Canada is a geostationary operator planning to deploy commercial LEO broadband satellites in 2026.
EPFD rules already strike the right…
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