United Kingdom Grants SpaceX License for Starlink Expansion

Photo: SpaceX

After SpaceX began seeking expanded Starlink service in the United Kingdom earlier this year, the company has officially been granted a license to increase its satellite footprint.

The UK approved the use of Starlink satellite internet on Thursday, granting licenses to both SpaceX and Telesat to expand their orbital constellations, as detailed in a report from Space News.

SpaceX was approved by national regulator Ofcom, allowing the company to increase the number of gateways in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) from three to nine. The move will allow Starlink to increase its capacity and improve performance while on the service.

SpaceX Starlink Reverse-Engineered into Navigation System, Claim Researchers https://t.co/2pLnTCC3zT

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While Starlink and the UK startup OneWeb already had licenses to connect broadband NGSO terminals, SpaceX is the only gateway license holder in the country.

Canadian company Telesat also plans to launch its own Lightspeed NGSO constellation, set to launch in 2026. The company plans to use the Ka-band spectrum alongside U.S. satellite broadband startup Mangata Networks.

In a space spectrum strategy document, Ofcom said it’s continuing to review how the space sector uses the Ka-band spectrum for increased terminal and gateway use.

In the document, the regulator said it’s looking to “consider providing access to more spectrum to enable the delivery of higher speed satellite broadband services to more businesses and people.”