Satellites to connect the unconnected

ITU News interview Julie Zoller, who oversees the key regulatory affairs portfolio for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which aims to launch a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide low-latency, high-quality broadband connectivity worldwide. She previously served as chief government affairs officer at Omnispace, and in tech-related policy roles at the US State Department, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and at the US Department of Defense.

Prior to joining Amazon, you served as Senior Deputy Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy in the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. You chaired the Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2016, and you were the first woman to chair ITU’s Radio Regulations Board (RRB). What can you tell us about your work as a member and chair of the RRB?

There is a common thread tying together my work at the State Department and chairing the Radio Regulations Board and ITU Council. I served for several years as a delegate, Board Member, and Counselor, building expertise and earning trust by listening to and appreciating the needs of others. This foundation of knowledge and trust prepared me to lead delegations and chair the Radio Regulations Board and Council. I really enjoyed the experience and working to find win-win outcomes.

Serving in a leadership capacity in government or a multilateral institution like ITU is a privilege and opportunity to do something for the common good.

I’m proud to have been elected to the first Board with women members (2006–2010) and to have been the first woman to chair the Board. But the fact that women have been elected to the Board ever since, including serving as chair, is the real reward. Diversity and inclusion are good for institutions and businesses and are simply the right way to operate.

Can you offer some insights into Amazon’s Project Kuiper and how it could improve people’s lives?

We started Project Kuiper to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. In the midst of the COVID‑19 pandemic, we have all had to shift our routine to learn, work, and access essential services from home.

But there are still billions of people on Earth without reliable broadband. Project Kuiper is an opportunity for us to address this need and help bridge the digital divide.

To deliver service, we’re building a constellation of 3236 satellites that will operate between 590 kilometres and 630 kilo‑metres in altitude. Operating in low Earth orbit (LEO) has the dual benefit of lower latency and shorter de-orbit times, which is good for customers and space safety.

Describe your typical day as Head of Global Regulatory Affairs.

In a typical day, I’ll have a staff meeting or attend a review, meet with my team to advance a particular regulatory matter, spend some time in one‑on‑one conversations with staff members, and read regulatory documents. Last July, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized us to deploy and operate the Kuiper NGSO (non-geostationary) system.

Getting our license was a major milestone, but we still have lots of work to do. We engage regularly in rule makings, and we’re currently conducting tech‑nical studies in preparation for the 2023 ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC‑23). We’ve been fortunate to be able to meet via vid‑eoconference since last March, when we began working from home. Not everyone has this type of flexibility though, so I’m proud to be working on a project that will help connect the unconnected.

What is it about the space sector that particularly motivates you?

When I was a child, my entire school stopped our lessons to watch astronauts board space capsules and go to space, even to the Moon. My fascination continued with the space shuttle, which I got to see up close before it was retired. I was fortunate to become involved in communications satellites at the beginning of my career and have worked with systems in geostationary as well as low, medium, and highly elliptical Earth orbits.

Satellite capabilities are expanding all the time, and the regulations have to enable that growth.

Before there were personal computers, faxes, or cell phones. I sent teletype messages over satellite. Now we have a growing number of broadband satellite providers like Kuiper. I’m excited to be a part of it.

Are investments in the space industry growing?

Absolutely. When we received our FCC license in July 2020, Amazon committed more than USD 10 billion to Project Kuiper. In April of this year, we announced an agreement with our first launch provider. These are just two examples, but I think they are a good indication of what’s to come for the industry.

What advice can you give to women aspiring to take up space careers?

I highly recommend it. It’s been an extremely rewarding journey filled with opportunity. My first job after I got my engineering degree was guiding the installation of large earth station complexes and testing the equipment after installation. That hands-on experience hooked me.

I’ve served in the government and worked in private industry and managed large procurement and consulting contracts. I discovered I had an affinity for the regulatory side of space at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 1997 (WRC‑97) and was elected to the Radio Regulations Board nine years later, stayed for two terms and became the first woman to chair it.

My advice is to embrace the opportunity in space.

Do things you’ve never done before and dive deep to build your expertise. Say yes, and volunteer to do more. You will discover gifts you never knew you had and advance the use of space technology for the benefit of humankind.

Discover more profiles and interviews with women leaders in space exploration, spectrum management, standards development, research and development, science, and technology policy in the latest issue of ITU News Magazine: Women leading in radiocommunications and space.