For future success of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, the LEO Policy Working Group has urged a modernization of restrictive licensing systems pertaining to these satellites. The working group released their findings in a detailed report entitled “Low Earth Orbit Satellites: Policies to Promote Spectrum Sharing, Foster Competition, and Close Digital Divides.”
As the skies becoming increasingly congested with LEO satellites, medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) satellites, and geosynchronous-Earth-orbit (GEO) satellites, the challenges increase for gaining the full benefits of each constellation (see image above).
The LEO Policy Working Group was formed as a result of gatherings and efforts on the parts of the Wireless Future program from New America and the International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE). Discussions by those two groups have brought together professional personnel involved in industrial development, public policy, academia, and regulations involving satellite connectivity.
Themes that have recurred during these satellite meetings include:
- Achieving effective LEO spectrum sharing and coexistence.
- Establishing a sustainable, competitive satellite environment.
- Optimizing the role of LEO satellites for high-speed digital links available directly to homes and businesses, especially for hard-to-reach locations.
ICLE’s Director of Innovation Policy, Kristian Stout, explained some of the significance of the report for their working group: “The promise of next-generation LEO connectivity remains constrained by outdated assumptions in the satellite industry. Spectrum policies are still shaped by overly restrictive regulatory frameworks long past due for modernization. At the same time, competition law must recognize that this remains a nascent market — one where even well-capitalized firms face extraordinary investment risk and uncertain returns.
Stout added, "As telecom authorities pursue universal connectivity, satellites have become a central element of that policy mix. The barriers and opportunities identified in our report highlight the need for policymakers to move beyond slow, legacy regimes toward more adaptive, forward-looking regulation.”
The independent LEO Policy Working Group hopes to ease the deployment of LEO satellites for a wide range of applications.
