SpaceX is seeking approval for changes to Starlink that the company says will enable broadband services with a capacity of gigabits per second. In app submitted to the US Federal Communications Commission on October 11, SpaceX claims the requested “modification and accompanying patch will enable the Gen2 system to deliver truly low-latency gigabit broadband and ubiquitous mobile connectivity to all Americans and the billions of people around the world who still lack access to adequate broadband.”
SpaceX said it is seeking “several small but significant updates to the orbital configuration and operational parameters for its Gen2 space station authorization to improve space sustainability, better respond to changing demand, and share spectrum more efficiently with other spectrum users.”
SpaceX wants to lower the satellite altitudes “from 525 km, 530 km and 535 km to 480 km, 485 km and 475 km, respectively.” The reconfiguration will enhance the “potential maximum number of orbital planes and satellites per aircraft,” keeping the planned total number of second-generation satellites at 29,988 or less. So far, the FCC has done just that 7,500 approved Gen2 satellites.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk he wrote on Monday that “next-generation Starlink satellites, which are so large that only Starship can launch them, will allow for 10-fold increases in throughput and, at reduced altitude, shorter latencies.”
SpaceX promised gigabit speeds in 2016, when the satellite system was still in the planning stages and didn’t even have a name yet. “When fully optimized during final deployment, the system will be able to deliver high throughput (up to 1 Gbps per user) and low-latency broadband services to consumers and businesses in the U.S. and around the world.” SpaceX told the FCC in November 2016
As for actual speeds in 2024, Starlink’s website says, “users typically experience download speeds ranging from 25 to 220 Mbps, with most users achieving speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. Upload speeds are typically between 5 and 20 Mbps. Latency ranges from 25 to 60 ms on land and over 100 ms in some remote locations.”
Changing the satellite elevation angle
SpaceX says another request would involve changing satellite elevation angles to improve network performance. “SpaceX is seeking to lower its minimum elevation angle from 25 degrees to 20 degrees for satellites operating at altitudes of 400 to 500 kilometers,” SpaceX told the FCC. “Reducing the minimum elevation angle in this way will improve customer connectivity by allowing satellites to connect directly to more ground stations and maintain connections to ground stations for longer periods while flying overhead.”
Meanwhile, Starlink Gen2 satellite updates “will include improved hardware that can utilize higher gain and more advanced beamforming and digital processing technologies, and will provide more targeted and stalwart coverage for U.S. consumers,” SpaceX said.
SpaceX is also seeking more flexible use of spectrum licenses to support planned mobile and existing home internet services. The company requested permission to “operate Ka, V and E band frequencies for mobile or fixed applications where the U.S. or international frequency allocation table allows for such dual operate and where antenna performance would be indistinguishable.”