Telco Insights - The Federal Communications Commission Issues First Ever Fine for Excessive Space Debris

October 2023

Elisha Sudlow-Poole

Senior Research Analyst

Following the recent introduction of its new Space Bureau, in October 2023, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) issues its first ever fine of $150,000 for excessive space debris.

The fine was handed to Dish, a direct-broadcast satellite provider, as the company failed to properly deorbit its Echstar-7 DBS (Direct Broadcasting Satellite). In this instance, Dish’s Echostar-7 DBA geostationary satellite, originally launched in 2002, was being retired through relocating it to a higher orbit, out of the way from other space users. However, it was discovered that the satellite’s thrusters lacked sufficient propellant to complete this journey, thus rendering it a dangerous piece of space debris.

With this, the FCC has advised that proposals for future space operations must be designed to ensure that the increased number of satellites being launched into orbit has the capabilities to be safely deorbited at the end of the mission.

·   The FCC’s International Bureau – In November 2022, the FCC recognised that it must be more proactive in regulating activity in the space industry. With this, the FCC is now divided into two divisions: the Space Bureau and the Office of International Affairs. This restructuring is to ensure that the FCC can responsibly cater to the growing role of satellites in advancing communications.

Timescales: 2023

Region(s): Global

1.1.1 Juniper Research’s View

Despite the discussion of satellite services only being introduced in 3GPP’s Rel-15 framework in 2018, Juniper Research forecasts that there will be approximately 300,000 5G satellite connections by 2024, with this figure set to rise over 47,000% over the next four years. Additionally, the FCC has reported that it is currently processing over 64,000 applications for new satellites.

Source: Juniper Research

However, as satellite operations have become more prevalent and space activity has increased, so too has the frequency of space debris. According to the ESA (Euopean Space Agency), as of September 2023, there were almost 35,000 pieces of space debris, rising from nearly 32,000 in 2022, equating to approximately 11,000 tonnes of waste. Moreover, the ESA also announced that there are 1,990 defunct satellites already in orbit. Moreover, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists have recently created a model that specified the economic risks space debris imposes on satellites operators, thus highlighting the increased emphasis now being placed on debris clean-up. This has large implications for 5G and 6G satellites, as they have a limited lifespan of less than 10 years. Juniper Research acknowledges that the ability to increase the sustainability of these satellites will be of the upmost importance.

Therefore, whilst the $150,000 fine posed on Dish is considered a rather modest sum, it reinforces the FCC’s strong authority to enforce its space debris rules. Juniper Research anticipates that the number of fines issued to defunct satellites will increase imminently.

Juniper Research recommends that technological efforts must be made by all parties within the satellite ecosystem to ensure that space debris is limited through mitigation efforts, including the creation of more reusable rocks and manoeuvrable satellites that can be adjusted through a satellite operator. Additionally, Juniper Research notes that a collaborative effort between OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and regulatory bodies including the FCC, must be achieved to ensure that the development of debris-cleaning technologies are developed in parallel with the rapid growth of commercial space industries. Such mitigation technologies include space lasers and ground laser nudges.

i. The Role of Satellite Technologies in 5G

This collaboration effort will become increasingly necessary, as satellites are deployed to play a critical role in the future of 5G networks. Indeed, satellites will be used to ensure 5G coverage in underserved areas, and to improve both network performance and capacity.

With this, the following points highlight the most immediate benefits of satellite‑based services for 5G networks:

·   Increased network coverage – Satellites will provide increased coverage to areas where terrestrial networks are financially unviable.

·   Increased support of backhaul infrastructure – Given the data-intensive nature of 5G services, satellite infrastructure will be used to carry data in a similar fashion to fibre services in terrestrial networks.

·   Increase network capacity and throughput – Satellites can offload data from terrestrial networks. As the number of 5G connections increase, so will the data generated. In turn, satellites can alleviate geographical areas that require high throughput and support for a large number of connections.

·   More network resilience – Satellites will provide an additional layer of network redundancy for communication services during natural disasters or network outages, specifically when terrestrial networks are inoperable.

Therefore, as the deployment of satellites has a vast number of benefits for next‑generation networks, including 5G and eventually 6G, the necessity to ensure the longevity of these networks through cleaner deployments and recycling of satellites is key.