Category Archives: Satellite

SpaceX suggests the FCC end rural subsidies

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Doug Dawson from CCG Consulting reports…

SpaceX has now told the FCC multiple times that the agency should begin the process of phasing down and eliminating all rural high-cost subsidies from the Universal Service Fund. The company filed comments asking for the end of subsidies in FCC Docket 26-96, which is looking at reforming the High-cost fund for an all IP Future, and in Docket 10-90 that was looking at Universal Service Fund reform. In both filings, SpaceX says that its proliferation of low-orbit satellites means that rural subsidies are obsolete and are no longer needed. The company characterizes anybody who disagrees with it as a “subsidy-dependent incumbent”. SpaceX goes on to argue that the money currently spent on rural subsidies should be redirected to programs that lower the cost of broadband for low-income families.

Doug looks at many aspects of the issue, I’ll just add one…

I think the SpaceX request raises multiple policy questions. First, is satellite really providing broadband? Earlier this decade the FCC declared that Starlink was not providing broadband when the agency canceled the $885 million award Starlink had won in the RDOF reverse auction. At the beginning of this year, Ookla said that only 45% of Starlink customers were meeting the FCC’s definition of broadband at 100/20 Mbps. But Starlink’s speeds have been slowly improving, and will be boosted over the next five years as the company replaces the current V2 satellites with the new V3 satellites that provide 10 times more download capacity and 22 times more upload capacity.

EVENT Oct 1: Google to launch prototype satellite to test for possibility of an AI data center to outer space

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MSN reports…

The launch of a prototype satellite scheduled for next week will be through the company’s Project Suncatcher initiative.

As AI data centers are being built around the world at a growing pace, Google is looking to expand the trend in outer space starting next week.

Plans have been in the works…

The company first unveiled Project Suncatcher in an announcement last November, saying its goal is to launch two prototype satellites by early 2027 “that will test our hardware in orbit, laying the groundwork for a future era of massively-scaled computation in space.”

For its upcoming Oct. 1 launch into space, Google’s prototype satellite will be loaded onto a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, The New York Times reported. The company told the newspaper it is not sending a full data center but rather an experimental version of one.

In its blog post ahead of the scheduled launch, Google detailed the behind-the-scenes work for Project Suncatcher, such as testing whether its AI hardware can survive in space.

The plans are long term..

In describing his company’s expectations for the prototype satellite, James Manyika, Google’s senior vice president, told the Times, adding, “We don’t expect, to be perfectly frank, that we’ll have anything usefully operational in the next few years.” He compared that with Google’s earlier work on driverless cars, which took the company 15 years to research before anything came to fruition.

Wright County board is grappling with proposed satellite ground station facility

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I am amazed at the issues coming up for county boards and city/township councils these days based on increased technology needs and opportunities. I’ve been writing a lot about local governments learning more data centers. Today, it’s a community that is talking about a satellite ground station facility in their community. Similar to the data center issue, elected officials are dealing with a topic that they might not know well. And as is often the case with technology, the parameters change, often more quickly that the regulations can keep up.

Wright County Commissioners are dealing with a satellite ground station facility. They have concerns, such a proximity to the local airport. They are grappling with understanding how a satellite ground station facility fits into existing plans and zoning as well as rules and ordinances.

I find it helpful to read the proposed resolution (text also pasted below) and then watch the watch the video from the Board meeting (from Sep 16, 2026) to understand the conundrum. There are differences in the understanding or interpretation of existing rules and ordinances how that guidance can help with satellites. You can see that board members are getting frustrated because they don’t have polices in place to help direct their actions.

In the end, the Board decided (3-2 vote) not to pass the resolution but then unanimously voted to send this to the revisor to follow up. Also, any action (from the satellite ground station) would be stopped if station moved more than 500 cubic yards of land alteration, which is the existing rule.

Here’s the Wright County meetings proposed resolution:

A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO ISSUE A ZONING

ADMINISTRATOR’S OPINION REGARDING THE SATELLITE GROUND STATION FACILITY

UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN ROCKFORD TOWNSHIP

WHEREAS, the Wright County Board of Commissioners has identified concerns regarding public safety, aviation safety, consumer protection, and broadband grant eligibility associated with a satellite ground station facility under construction in Rockford Township, Wright County (the “Ground Station”); and WHEREAS, the Ground Station is located at 2337 5th St SE, Buffalo, Minnesota 55313, within Rockford Township, Wright County; and

WHEREAS, Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.025 vests the Zoning Administrator with authority to interpret the County’s zoning ordinance and to issue written opinions regarding the conformity of proposed and ongoing land uses and structures with the ordinance’s requirements;

WHEREAS, the Ground Station is located within the County’s Agricultural (AG) Zoning District, and Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048 sets forth the conditional, interim and permitted uses within the AG District;

WHEREAS, a satellite ground station facility consisting of more than one satellite dish is not listed as a conditional, interim or permitted use under §§ 155.048 or 155.106; and

WHEREAS, the Agricultural (AG) Zoning District’s conditional, interim or permitted uses under Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048 do not constitute a zoning district where commercial or industrial uses are generally permitted and of the installation, maintenance, or use of satellite earth station antennas within the meaning of 47 C.F.R. § 25.104, and the preemption set forth therein does not apply; and

WHEREAS, Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.106 permits one satellite dish per property as an accessory use, and the Ground Station, consisting of multiple satellite dishes and associated infrastructure exceeds the scope of the single-dish accessory use permitted under § 155.106; and

WHEREAS, Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048(E) provides that any use not listed as a permitted, conditional, or interim use is prohibited; and

WHEREAS, the Board finds it necessary and appropriate to direct the Zoning Administrator to formally review the Ground Station and immediately issue a written Zoning Administrator’s Opinion addressing its compliance with the County’s zoning ordinance before construction proceeds further;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Wright County Board of Commissioners as follows:

  1. The Board finds, based on Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048 that a satellite ground station facility is not listed as a permitted, conditional, or interim use within the Agricultural (AG) Zoning District, and that the Ground Station is therefore a prohibited use within that zoning district.

  2. The Zoning Administrator is directed to issue a written Zoning Administrator’s Opinion, consistent with the Board’s findings in this Resolution, determining that the Ground Station is a prohibited use under Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048.

  3. The Zoning Administrator is directed to issue, concurrent with or as part of the Zoning Administrator’s Opinion, a stop-work order halting further construction of the Ground Station pending compliance with the Wright County Zoning Ordinance.

  4. The Zoning Administrator is directed to issue the Zoning Administrator’s Opinion and stop-work order within two business days of the adoption of this Resolution, and to promptly transmit copies to the Board, Rockford Township, the property owner, and to the company proposing to construct the Ground Station

Ookla speed test ranks Minnesota 25 for fixed broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps

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Ookla reports…

Using Ookla Speedtest Intelligence® data, this report identifies the states that are currently delivering the minimum standard for fixed and satellite broadband speeds as established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the highest percentage of Speedtest users. It also singles out the states that need the most improvement when it comes to delivering the minimum standard for broadband to residents.

Here are a few of their top takeaways:

  • Rural broadband access expanded across the U.S. in the first half of 2026. Nearly every state narrowed its digital divide, which is the gap in access to fast, reliable internet and modern digital technology between urban centers and rural or remote communities. When compared to the performance in the 2H of 2025, every state with the exception of California, Delaware, and Illinois, made progress. New Hampshire and Virginia led the nation in gains, with New Hampshire reducing its gap from 11.5 to 4.8 percentage points.
  • Overall broadband expansion is slowing, particularly in top-performing states. For instance, top-ranked Connecticut saw its proportion of qualifying users creep up just over 1% from 73.4% in 2H 2025 to 74.7% in 1H 2026, while second-place New Jersey edged up from 72.8% to 73.5%.

Minnesota ranks 25 for access to fixed broadband at of 100/20 Mbps with the following:

  • Broadband divide: 15.7 points
  • Urban broadband: 76.3 percent
  • Rural broadband: 60.6 percent

Minnesota ranks 5 for access to users achieving Starlink LEO broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps with 55.0 percent.

Amazon Leo files for three new 6-antenna ground stations in Florida, Minnesota, and Texas

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Data Center Dynamics reports…

Amazon Leo has applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for fixed-gateway ground stations in three states.

The company has submitted paperwork for a gateway in St. Lucie County, Florida; Norman County, Minnesota; and Gaines County, Texas.

“Prompt grant of this application will accelerate the deployment of the Amazon Leo Systems and its ability to expand broadband access for consumers, schools, hospitals, businesses, and other organizations across the United States,” the 47-page Florida application penned by Kuiper Systems corporate counsel Negheen H. Sanjar reads.

The Florida deployment is set to be located at 10161 Range Line Rd in Port St. Lucie, a teleport operated by United Teleports. The Minnesota deployment is planned at 3652 170th Avenue, a vacant plot in Twin Valley. The Texas deployment is planned for 2271 FM 1757 in Seminole.

More info on the stations…

The Florida, Minnesota, and Texas gateways will consist of six 2.4-meter antennas in the bands of 27.5-30 GHz, 17.8-18.6 GHz, and 18.8-20.2 GHz, with no more than four antennas transmitting on the same channel at any one time.

Wright County Board to discuss “Satellite Ground Station” proposed for Rockford Township – apparently approved by the FCC

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KRWC reports…

The Wright County Board of Commissioners will meet later this week along with officials with the Wright County Attorney’s Office and possibly with township officials regarding a new technology front – “satellite ground stations.”

These facilities track satellites, communicate with spacecraft and process data between Earth and space. SpaceX and its subsidiary StarLink are currently in the process of locating eight satellite ground stations in the United States – four in Washington, one each in Wisconsin, California and Utah, and one here in Wright County, in Rockford Township.

Commissioner Nadine Schoen brought the item to the August 25th board meeting. She said that questions have been asked for months, but answers have been slow in coming – if at all…

“It has taken on its own history. It’s mounting. It’s kind of a snowball effect when people start finding out what is actually taking place and what rights are being taken away.”

Commissioner Kirby Moynagh questioned why such a project could be completed without any local oversight or buy-in, stating the Federal Communications Commission has given the project prior approval, thereby superseding local jurisdictions…

“They don’t require permits from the local government, the FCC says they can go in and do it and then they do it and nobody knows about it until after it’s installed.”

Commissioners are frustrated because of what appears to be a federally-approved project’s ability to sidestep local regulations. Officials say local zoning applications from lifelong Wright County residents require rigorous scrutiny, yet, it appears this project hasn’t been on the radar of any Minnesota regulatory authority until recently.

Earlier this month, Commissioner Schoen, along with representatives from the Association of Minnesota Counties and the Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance met with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, where concerns were raised as to how a private company could get the ability to place equipment in an agricultural zone without going through the county or township for permitting.

FCC claims Starlink has more than 7 million US subscribers

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PC Magazine reports…

A new report from the Federal Communications Commission suggests that Starlink’s growth in the US has somehow tripled, reaching over 7 million subscribers.

The 7 million figure is in Friday’s “Section 706” report from the FCC, which examines broadband access nationwide, covering fixed and mobile services. In releasing the report, the commission not only touted progress in expanding access to high-speed broadband and 5G mobile, but also highlighted the expansion of satellite internet services, including SpaceX’s Starlink.

“Satellite service is also rapidly expanding,” the 182-page report says. “Starlink alone has launched over 2,300 satellites between mid-2024 and mid-2025 and has now deployed more than 7,800 satellites—a worldwide network already with over 7 million American subscribers.”

Although it’s clear Starlink has been growing, the FCC figure blows past our expectations, considering SpaceX told the FCC in September 2025 that Starlink was serving “more than 2 million subscribers in the United States alone.” In August 2024, the number was over 1.4 million.

The article shares some explanations…

Farrar added: “They may use a different definition than the paying subscriber total quoted in SpaceX’s financial reports (e.g. people who bought a terminal, but are not currently signed up to a plan).”

It’s also possible more users, including businesses, in the US have adopted Starlink as a backup internet option, noted Tim Belfall, a director at UK-based Starlink installer Westend WiFi. For example, some customers may have bought a Starlink dish, but placed it on the $10-per-month Standby Mode, rather than pay for a regular subscription.

 

Orbital seeks FCC Approval for 100,000 data center satellites

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Broadband Breakfast reports...

Orbital, a five-month-old startup based in Los Angeles, has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy up to 100,000 data center satellites.

The application submitted June 24 outlines plans for a constellation that would deliver approximately 10 gigawatts of compute, roughly enough to meet the average electricity demand of about 8 to 10 million U.S. homes, without drawing on terrestrial electricity, land, or water.

Benton Institute for Broadband and Society posts primer on Starlink

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Benton Institute for Broadband and Society posted a nice primer on Starlink…

Starlink is all over the broadband news lately. The SpaceX-owned broadband provider has come a long way since it first launched 60 satellites in May 2019. Today, SpaceX has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit and has received regulatory approval to grow the fleet to 15,000. The company reports over 9 million direct subscribers globally (2.7 million in the U. S. alone), a number experts think is poised to grow exponentially in the coming years. In a recent SEC filing, Starlink claimed it can reach 3.3 billion potential users now.

The article goes on to address the following topics:

  • How Starlink Works
  • Advantages of Starlink
  • Disadvantages of Starlink
  • The Questions Facing Policymakers
  • Where We’re Going

NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth updates Congress about BEAD

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I’m borrowing from Benton Institute’s recap of NTIA’s Administrator, Arielle Roth, update to Congress on BEAD from June 30, 2026…

The House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened an oversight hearing focused on the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator Arielle Roth was the sole witness. NTIA oversees the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which was intended to provide grants for last-mile deployment in unserved and underserved areas. On June 6, 2025, the Trump NTIA issued new guidance for the BEAD Program. The guidance removed many Biden-era requirements, including a fiber technology preference and low-income plans. The June 2025 guidance directed eligible entities to run an additional “benefit-of-the-bargain” bidding round to ensure that awards reflected the changes made by the Administration and to submit final proposals by September 4, 2025. In the year since issuing the new guidance, NTIA has approved 54 out of 56 final proposals submitted by eligible entities, BEAD-funded infrastructure in two states has been deployed, and the program expects to “save” approximately $21 billion on deployment costs. What to do with the remaining money is to be determined. NTIA held a listening session to gather input on how this “nondeployment” money could be used by states, and is expected to provide guidance soon. Ideas include public safety, deployment to homes and businesses that may have been missed following the initial bidding round, workforce development, and permitting reform. The hearing, in part, was aiming at determining the  status of BEAD deployment and nondeployment funding.

The rest of the notes highlight different views of BEAD. Some folks are focused on saving as much money as possible. Some folks are focused on getting better broadband to everyone. Everyone seems frustrated with the slow timeline. And most folks were hoping for more information on the plan for nondeployment funds from BEAD…

During questioning from Members of the Subcommittee, Administrator Roth said guidance on nondeployment funding will come “this summer.” She deferred specifics on the question of whether those funds will be held back from states that enact regulations on artificial intelligence, as directed by a presidential executive order. “We want the funding … to produce real measurable outcomes, be non-duplicative, non-distortionary….” Roth said. She added, “we’re proceeding cautiously in producing the guidance so that we can ensure that this funding achieves the same success as the first segment of the BEAD Program.”

Starlink rural customers are seeing price increases

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I’m borrowing the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s summary of the Washington Post article…

When Julie Slama and her husband moved to a home outside Dunbar, Nebraska, in April 2022, they were happy customers of Elon Musk’s Starlink. The satellite-based internet service from Musk’s rocket-maker, SpaceX, was the only practical option for them in their rural community, and their $90 monthly rate has felt reasonable in the years since. SpaceX is set to list on the stock market this week at a valuation of more than $1 trillion, and Slama is now feeling the squeeze. She and her husband, parents of three who run a law firm from their home, face a 44 percent jump in their internet bill, an annual increase of nearly $500. Starlink told some U.S. customers in May that it was raising prices and increased the cost of most plans for a service that counts millions of users across the country. “I can complain about Starlink raising their prices, but it’s the only real option we have,” said Slama, a Republican and former Nebraska state senator. “Once they have rural customers on their service with no meaningful alternatives, they’re free to raise prices at will.” “When you have a captured consumer you are able to raise the prices,” said Drew Garner, director of policy engagement at the nonpartisan Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. “Given that broadband is an essential service and that the consumer has to buy it you’re able to … squeeze them often.”

The Daily Yonder looks at policy perspective changes of satellite

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The Daily Yonder reports on policy change that impact satellite…

In a proposed rulemaking adopted unanimously on May 20 the FCC asked whether LEO satellite broadband should be treated as a sufficient substitute for terrestrial infrastructure in the most difficult-to-serve areas, and whether continued support for land-based deployments in those locations constitutes unnecessary “overbuilding.”

In its proposal, the FCC claimed “nearly all” remaining U.S. locations without a fiber, cable or fixed wireless broadband connection are now considered to be served by “a LEO satellite provider.”

Many of those locations are in sparsely populated rural areas, where the high cost of deploying terrestrial broadband infrastructure has historically left residents with few connectivity options.

In its filing, the FCC reinforced its policy that “providing support in areas of the country where another voice and broadband provider is offering high-quality service without government assistance is an inefficient use of limited universal service funds.”

Ookla ranks MN’s access to fixed broadband (100/20) at 31

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Ookla reports…

Ookla Speedtest Intelligence® data found that the number of states that are able to deliver fixed broadband services (fiber, cable and DSL) to the minimum standard of broadband speeds (100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload) to 60% or more of Speedtest users in their state increased from 38 states and the District of Columbia in the first half of 2025 to 45 states and the District of Columbia in the second half of 2025. Plus, 13 states are now delivering the minimum  of 100/20 Mbps fixed broadband speeds to 70% or more of Speedtest users.

Speedtest data also indicates that satellite broadband speeds improved during the second half of the year, as well. In the second half of 2025, Starlink’s ability to deliver the FCC’s minimum standard for broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps across the U.S. improved dramatically with 50% or more of Speedtest users in five states—Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada—experiencing speeds of 100/20 Mbps while using Starlink’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite service. This was an increase from 1H 2025 when South Dakota with 37.13% was the state with the highest percentage of Starlink users that could get LEO broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

Here’s what they found for Minnesota:

  • Percentage of urban and rural user with access to fixed broadband at 100 Mbps down and 20 up (100/20)
  • Urban: 74.3 percent
  • Rural: 56.4 percent
  • Ranking for overall access: 31
  • Ranking for Starlink users who can access 100/20: 13 at 45.97 percent

Some Legislators looking again at SpaceX’s participation in BEAD funding

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Broadband Breakfast reports on more potential uncertainty for State Broadband leaders dealing to BEAD…

Nearly 20 House Democrats say they have “deep concern” about satellite ISP SpaceX’s participation in a $42.45 billion broadband grant program after the company asked state broadband offices to relax some of the program’s rules.

“Other providers that participated in BEAD presumably did so in good faith, with a clear understanding of the rules. Starlink’s proposed rider suggests that it did not,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter last week to Arielle Roth, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “If Starlink cannot comply with the standards that other BEAD providers have accepted, NTIA and state broadband offices must reconsider these awards.”

In January, SpaceX asked states to modify rules around performance testing and other provisions of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program before signing contracts with the company. NTIA, which is managing the program at the federal level, then released an updated FAQ document telling states that they couldn’t negotiate deals with grant winners that conflicted with BEAD rules.

FCC approves Amazon Leo launch of 4500 more satellites

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Fierce Network reports…

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) yesterday granted Amazon Leo the authority to launch 4,500 more satellites.

Recently, Amazon Leo asked the FCC for permission to extend its deadline to launch 3,232 satellites until July 30, 2028. The FCC hasn’t ruled on that request, yet, but it’s generally expected to approve it.

Now, with the FCC’s permission to launch 4,500 more satellites, Amazon Leo will potentially have a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) constellation of more than 7,700 satellites.

As for the 4,500 additional satellites, Amazon Leo must launch 50% of those by February 10, 2032, and the remaining half by February 10, 2035.