Peter Davidson, David Goldman, Kalpak Gude, Svetlana Matt, Henry Wendel, and Sarah Oh Lam (moderator).
The Technology Policy Institute’s third webinar of the 2025 Winter Spectrum Series on Tuesday, February 25th, entitled “Commercial Space and Spectrum Access,” brought together industry leaders from Intelsat, SpaceX, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, EchoStar, and Cooley LLP to discuss satellite spectrum policy priorities for 2025. Here are some key takeaways:
Use Flexibile Licensing to Promote Innovation: Panelists emphasized the need for a shift from rigid, application-specific licensing to more flexible frameworks and clearer rule-based authorizations. This would lower barriers to entry, speed up decision-making, and better accommodate the rapid pace of new technologies like In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing.
Balance Incumbent Protections with New Entrants: A tension exists between protecting legacy Geostationary Orbit operators and fostering competition with Low Earth Orbit constellations. The FCC’s Satellite and Earth Station order and NGSO sharing rules were cited as models for setting clear interference thresholds and sunsetting protections over time, encouraging a dynamic, competitive space industry.
Create Clear and Predictable Spectrum Sharing Rules: Satellite spectrum is inherently shared, but current rules lack consistency, with each operator facing bespoke conditions. Some panelists advocated for predefined interference levels and streamlined reporting to reduce uncertainty, enabling companies to plan billion-dollar investments with confidence, akin to the terrestrial market’s success.
Navigate Conflicting Industry Preferences on Spectrum Allocation: Some panelists advocated for dedicated spectrum allocations for emerging technologies like ISAM (In-Space Servicing Assembly Manufacturers), though this position contrasts with the spectrum sharing emphasis elsewhere in the discussion. The panel broadly agreed on the need for policies that address new use cases but differed on whether dedicated allocations or enhanced sharing frameworks would better serve innovation while protecting existing users.
Strengthen US Leadership in International Spectrum Policy: Panelists noted that startups are leaving the US for countries like Australia, where licensing takes weeks instead of years, offering the certainty needed for early-stage funding. They pointed to growing anti-US sentiment at recent World Radio Conferences. The panel called for more cohesive federal agency coordination and continued US leadership at the ITU.
Accelerate Regulatory Processes to Match Industry Pace: The space industry’s rapid evolution—evidenced by rideshare launches, small business participation, and shorter satellite lifecycles—outpaces current regulatory timelines. Shot clocks, streamlined processes, and a potential Commerce Department Space Bureau elevation were proposed to keep U.S. policies aligned with market realities.
Sarah Oh Lam is a Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute. Oh completed her PhD in Economics from George Mason University, and holds a JD from GMU and a BS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. She was previously the Operations and Research Director for the Information Economy Project at George Mason School of Law. She has also presented research at the 39th Telecommunications Policy Research Conference and has co-authored work published in the Northwestern Journal of Technology & Intellectual Property among other research projects. Her research interests include law and economics, regulatory analysis, and technology policy.
Scott Wallsten is President and Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute and also a senior fellow at the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy. He is an economist with expertise in industrial organization and public policy, and his research focuses on competition, regulation, telecommunications, the economics of digitization, and technology policy. He was the economics director for the FCC's National Broadband Plan and has been a lecturer in Stanford University’s public policy program, director of communications policy studies and senior fellow at the Progress & Freedom Foundation, a senior fellow at the AEI – Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an economist at The World Bank, a scholar at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and a staff economist at the U.S. President’s Council of Economic Advisers. He holds a PhD in economics from Stanford University.
