The Economic Benefits of Updating Regulations that Unnecessarily Limit Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit Systems

Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems, a form of non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) systems, are one of the most promising recent advances in Internet access. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) equivalent power flux-density (epfd) rules crafted 25 years ago limit the capacity and effectiveness of NGSO fixed-satellite service (FSS) systems, reducing the availability and increasing the cost of services provided by NGSO FSS systems. Updating 25-year-old epfd rules would provide tens of billions of dollars of benefits to customers around the world, particularly to the 2 billion people not yet connected to the Internet