Under the new authorisation, the company can build, launch and operate an additional 7,500 second-generation (Gen2) Starlink satellites, lifting the total constellation to 15,000 satellites worldwide.
The expansion is expected to improve high-speed, low-latency internet access across the globe, including enhanced mobile connectivity and supplemental coverage delivered directly from space.
The decision by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was supported by collaboration with the US Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr said the approval marked a turning point for next-generation communications services: “President Trump is restoring America’s technology leadership.”
As part of the approval, SpaceX will upgrade its Gen2 satellites with new form factors and advanced technologies. The satellites will operate across a wide range of frequencies – including Ku, Ka, V, E and W bands – and support both fixed and mobile satellite services.
The FCC has also waived a number of outdated technical rules that previously restricted overlapping beam coverage, allowing SpaceX to significantly increase network capacity. New orbital shells will be added at altitudes between 340 and 485 kilometres, designed to optimise coverage, performance and latency.
The expanded network will enable direct-to-mobile connectivity outside the United States and provide supplemental mobile coverage within the US, laying the groundwork for future satellite-enabled mobile services.
Chairman Carr added, “This FCC authorisation is a game changer. By approving 15,000 new and advanced satellites, the FCC has given SpaceX the green light to deliver unprecedented satellite broadband capabilities, strengthen competition, and help ensure no community is left behind.”
SpaceX was first licensed to operate the original Starlink Generation 1 network in March 2018. Since then, the company has rapidly deployed satellites to deliver broadband to remote and underserved areas in the US and overseas.
Nearly 4,000 satellites have been launched so far, with Starlink now providing high-speed internet to more than 1 million locations worldwide, most of them households.
Demand for the service has surged, particularly in regions with limited or non-existent broadband options, prompting SpaceX to accelerate deployment.
With the authorisation of the second-generation Starlink network, SpaceX said users can expect even faster speeds and greater reliability. The Gen2 satellites will deliver substantially higher throughput than earlier models, translating to more bandwidth and improved performance for customers.
The company said the upgrade will ultimately bring high-speed internet access to millions more people, regardless of where they live.