Outdated rules, new space race: modernising LEO spectrum policy (CSIS)

In this video

The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, published this 10 minute 53 second piece on 14 August 2025 (about 2,200 views). Per its description, "LEO satellites are redefining global communications and security, but U.S. innovation is being slowed by decades-old spectrum rules"; Matt Pearl of CSIS and Karina Perez of the Computer & Communications Industry Association explain why updating them "is critical to expanding connectivity and keeping U.S. space leadership on top". It is advocacy from a policy institution, clearly labelled, and the argument is the one SpaceX has made in FCC and ITU proceedings.

Why it matters for a business buyer

The rules in question are the equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits written into the ITU Radio Regulations in the late 1990s to protect geostationary satellites from interference by non-geostationary systems sharing Ku- and Ka-band. They cap how much power a LEO satellite may put on the ground in certain geometries, which in practice caps the throughput a Starlink or OneWeb beam can deliver in parts of the sky. The 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference agreed to study revising them, with a decision expected at WRC-27; GEO operators and some governments oppose loosening. Why a customer should care:

• Capacity per cell: looser limits mean more usable capacity from the same satellites, which is how sold-out cells and congestion charges get resolved without new launches.
• Competition: the rules apply equally to Amazon Leo and OneWeb; the argument is about LEO versus GEO business models, not one company.
• Timing: nothing changes before 2027 at the earliest, so current SLA figures are the ones to plan on.

For the counter-view, the GEO operators in our directory (54 companies) argue the limits protect services that carry broadcasting and aviation safety traffic. The FCC's own procedures for sharing are explained in the Space Bureau briefing.

Watch this if

You follow the regulatory risk on LEO capacity, you write about the sector, or you want to understand why "EPFD" appears in every Starlink filing. Pair with the FCC commissioner interview for the domestic policy process.

Go further

Definitions: frequency coordination, ITU, EIRP, frequency reuse. Directories: LEO providers, satellite providers in the United States.