Space Connect: Earthbound networks enabling LEO constellations

Satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) work in concert with intricate webs of ground systems.

Customer terminals, gateways and other surface infrastructure, combined with LEO constellations roving overhead, complete a revolutionary digital connectivity loop.

But as LEO constellations proliferate, so must their ground networks.

To maintain continuous two-way telecom signals, LEO constellations typically intersect the equator and circle over the poles rather than maintaining a fixed path in relation to Earth.

These attributes – non-geostationary orbit (NGSO), growing constellations, and the multiplicity of ground gateways – require novel regulatory approaches and complex coordination of radio spectrum usage.

Janet Hernandez, president of US-based telecom and tech consulting firm TMG, explained: “Harmonization and scalable approaches will be key to ensuring… the global delivery that these constellations are seeking to provide.”

The third episode of ITU’s Space Connect series delved into network regulation, spectrum management, and international cooperation on the vital support systems for LEO constellations.

Evolving regulatory challenges

Common regulatory challenges for LEO services and networks include:

• Licensing and authorization – with the need for streamlined processes for operators.
• Harmonization and scalability – ensuring consistent requirements between countries to facilitate global deployment.
• Spectrum access and interference – with regulators developing mitigation plans and encouraging spectrum sharing arrangements between different services.
• Localization – addressing local gateway requirements and exploring innovative solutions like cloud-based processing and inter-satellite links.

New satellite innovations will continue reshaping regulatory requirements on the ground.

“Ground systems are absolutely essential to the success and functioning of LEO constellations, and their regulation requires some novel thinking,” said session moderator Patricia Cooper. “This is not an easy set of problems to weave together, and they absolutely need to be addressed.”

The UK approach

While testing different approaches, national regulators agree on the need for smooth coordination, both across borders and among competing operators.

Developed markets like the UK have drawn valuable lessons on licensing gateways and managing radio interference for LEO systems.

“Because of the dynamic nature of NGSO services – the way satellites move relative to the Earth, the way constellations move relative to each other – there was an increasing risk of interference,” said Elizabeth Quintana, head of space authorization policy at UK communications regulator Ofcom.

To enable market competition and ensure reliable services, the UK regulator “placed a requirement on NGSO licensees to cooperate with each other,” she added.

With more “interesting services coming along,” the UK expects to keep expanding its gateway licenses.

The Brazilian approach

Brazil – the world’s fifth-largest country at 8.5 million square kilometres – needs LEO networks to close gaps in broadband mobile and Internet services, particularly to isolated communities in the Amazon region.

“This scale brings, obviously, great opportunity, but also significant regulatory infrastructure challenges, especially when it comes to universal connectivity,” said Kim Mota, a senior advisor at national regulator Anatel. “Regulatory innovation is essential to enable the full potential of satellite communications and emerging markets.”

While non-geostationary satellites orbit over the whole planet, their operators must obtain “landing rights (national authorizations allowing foreign satellite systems to provide service within a country’s borders)” to reach actual customers in each country.

Brazil aims to simplify the licensing process, charge flat fees, and ease authorizations and renewables. As the market grows, new entrants must ensure their offering can co-exist with existing providers.

“We establish a national coordination priority to bring legal certainty to existing and incoming operators,” Mota said. “It means that newcomers must obtain the coordination agreement from the incumbent systems here in Brazil.”

Brazil is currently updating its technical requirements in line with recommendations from the latest World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC‑23), she added.

Those updates are reflected in the Radio Regulations (2024 edition) maintained by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

ITU standards and regulatory guidelines also ease the way for providers to service multiple markets simultaneously.

International and regional cooperation

LEO operators aiming to deploy globally can find themselves impeded by conflicting national requirements. “It slows down the process and is very cumbersome,” observed Hernandez.

The panel underscored the need for operators and regulators to work together to support the growth of the satellite industry while ensuring reliable and high-quality services for consumers.

International organizations help harmonize regulations and ensure efficient spectrum use. They also facilitate innovation and can provide technical assistance where needed.

ITU works alongside regional groupings like the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), the Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG), the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), and the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC).

All these organizations coordinate spectrum use and standards for satellite communications among multiple markets, as well as providing technical assistance and helping improve the capacity of national regulators to comply with international and regional regulations.

Future episodes

Replay Space Connect Episode 3: Space Connect Episode 3 (March 2025) – ITU Space Connect

ITU’s webinar series will keep exploring critical topics like space sustainability, advances in launch technologies, and more about non-geostationary constellations.

Don’t miss Space Connect Episode 4 – Women leaders shaping the future of space – live on 24 April 2025 at 14:30 CEST

Other upcoming topics include Earth observation, climate monitoring, and emergency response, as well as direct-to-device (D2D), machine-to-machine (M2M) and cislunar (Earth-Moon) communications.

Tell us your top three areas of interest for future Space Connect sessions

The sessions, hosted at ITU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, for participants worldwide, offer insights on how evolving satellite tech will shape future global connectivity and communications.

Learn more about the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and its Space Services Department

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