SpaceX seeks FCC approval for 100,000 Starlink satellites

SpaceX filed a request with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve a Starlink satellite constellation of 100,000 satellites.

TL;DR

• SpaceX asked the FCC to authorize 100,000 Starlink satellites.
• The filing concerns a major expansion of the Starlink constellation.
• Fierce Network reported that a Wall Street analyst said a constellation of this size would give Starlink more capacity to compete with wireline broadband operators.

The FCC filing relates to Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite broadband service. The request would expand the scale of the Starlink network well beyond its current authorized footprint if approved.

Fierce Network reported that a Wall Street analyst said a 100,000-satellite constellation would give Starlink “massive headroom” to compete. The same report said the analyst expects significant disruption for wireline broadband operators if SpaceX reaches that scale.

The source excerpt did not specify the filing date, orbital configuration, spectrum bands, or deployment timeline for the 100,000-satellite request. The report identified the filing as a request to the FCC.

Related questions

• What did SpaceX request from the FCC for Starlink?
• How many satellites are included in SpaceX’s new Starlink filing?
• Why does the reported 100,000-satellite scale matter for broadband competition?