The Rules That Power Orbit: Arpan Sura Outlines the FCC’s Space Modernization Agenda
When most people hear “FCC,” they think of broadcast television or robocalls. But at spaceNEXT 2026, Arpan Sura made clear that the Federal Communications Commission is now one of the most consequential regulators shaping the future of the global space economy.
Sura, Chief AI Officer and Senior Counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, delivered a sweeping keynote in The Vault at Capital One Hall outlining how the FCC is transforming its licensing and spectrum framework to keep pace with an industry experiencing explosive growth.
The stakes are significant.
The global space economy reached $613 billion in 2024. More than 15,000 satellites are currently in orbit. Launch activity hit record highs last year. Nearly 80% of space activity is driven by the private sector, with American companies dominating global launch, satellite manufacturing, and operations.
“This is not a niche industry anymore,” Sura told the audience. “It’s a pillar of the American economy.”
And at the center of that pillar: spectrum.
The FCC’s Four Pillars in Space
Sura framed the FCC’s authority in space around four core responsibilities:
Preventing harmful interference — ensuring satellite signals do not disrupt one another.
Efficient spectrum use — managing finite radio frequency resources.
National security coordination — working with agencies such as the Department of Defense.
Space safety — addressing orbital debris and operational risks.
These pillars remain valid. The problem, Sura explained, is that the rules supporting them were built for a different era.
A System Built for the 1990s
In 2015, the FCC received approximately 40 space station applications annually. By 2024, that number exceeded 300 — alongside more than 3,000 Earth station applications.
The regulatory framework, originally designed for a handful of large geostationary satellites, struggled to handle thousands of agile low-Earth orbit spacecraft operating with beam-forming technology and software-defined radios.
The consequences were not theoretical.
Satellite operators book launches years in advance. Financing depends on licensing timelines. A single year of delay on a $500 million program can cost $100 million in lost revenue. Missed launch windows can cost tens of millions — or eliminate access to space entirely.
“An FCC license isn’t just a permission slip,” Sura said. “It’s a billion-dollar strategic asset.”
Amazon, he noted, invested $10 billion on the strength of its FCC license.
The “Backlog Doom Loop”
Sura described what he called a “backlog doom loop”:
More applications led to more delays.
More delays led to amendments.
More amendments generated additional applications.
The system became slower as volume increased.
Routine applications underwent bespoke technical reviews. Minor hardware upgrades required full modification filings. Even software updates to satellite radios could trigger new paperwork requirements — regardless of whether interference risk changed.
Outdated rules penalized innovation. Operators were effectively punished for upgrading equipment.
Meanwhile, capital bonds tied up millions in funding. Processing rounds forced companies to wait years for batch review windows.
The costs rippled across the economy: broadband that didn’t reach rural communities, innovation that stalled, jobs that never materialized.
Speed, Simplicity, Security, Spectrum
Under Chairman Carr, Sura explained, the FCC is pursuing reform guided by four principles:
Speed. The Commission reduced its Earth station backlog by 50% in 2025 and is moving toward defined “shot clocks” for application review.
Simplicity. The FCC is replacing legacy satellite licensing rules “root and branch” with a modular, scalable framework designed for thousands of LEO satellites — not a handful of GEO systems.
Security. A new proceeding aims to strengthen GPS protections and explore alternatives and complements to positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) infrastructure — systems that underpin financial markets, agriculture, and critical infrastructure.
Spectrum abundance. The Commission is evaluating opening more than 20,000 megahertz of additional spectrum for satellite broadband — more than doubling what is currently available.
The EPFD Unlock
One of the most significant proposed changes involves updating Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) limits — technical restrictions dating to the 1990s that constrain non-geostationary satellite systems.
Updating EPFD rules could increase low-Earth orbit system capacity by up to 180% overall — and by as much as 700% in specific areas.
The change would allow satellites to deploy multiple beams over the same area, dramatically expanding broadband capacity and enabling satellite networks to compete more directly with terrestrial fiber and mobile infrastructure.
In effect, regulatory reform could unlock performance gains without launching a single additional satellite.
Broad Industry Support
Sura emphasized that reform efforts are not controversial within the industry.
Companies that compete fiercely in the marketplace — including SpaceX, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and AST SpaceMobile — have aligned in support of streamlined, predictable licensing.
Congress is also engaged. The SAT Streamlining Act, introduced by Chairman Cruz and Senator Welch, would codify many FCC reforms into law, making them more durable across administrations.
Regulatory Efficiency as Strategic Advantage
Sura closed with a broader geopolitical lens.
Regulatory efficiency, he argued, is not just good governance — it is a competitive advantage.
As the United States competes with China and other global powers in space, the speed and predictability of licensing frameworks directly influence where companies invest and innovate.
“The future of space is not just about rockets and satellites,” Sura said. “It’s about the rules that govern them.”
Get the rules right, and you unleash an industry.
Get them wrong, and you hold it back.
At spaceNEXT 2026, Sura made clear that the FCC intends to get them right.
