The FCC approved a request by SpaceX to deploy an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites in space to expand global internet service.

The approval allows SpaceX to operate a total of 15,000 Starlink satellites worldwide. The agency also authorized upgrades to the satellites and use of five frequency bands. It waived earlier limits that restricted overlapping coverage and capacity increases.

The FCC said the additional satellites will support direct-to-cell connectivity outside the United States and provide supplemental coverage domestically. The expansion is intended to enable next-generation mobile services and broadband speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the authorization enables advanced satellite broadband services and strengthens competition. He said the decision supports broader access and improved service capabilities.

SpaceX sought approval to deploy nearly 30,000 satellites. The FCC said it is authorizing only 15,000 at this time. It deferred action on the remaining 14,988 proposed satellites, including those planned for operations above 600 kilometers in altitude.

Under the order, SpaceX must launch and operate 50% of the authorized second-generation satellites by Dec. 1, 2028. The remaining satellites must be launched by December 2031. The company must also complete deployment of 7,500 first-generation satellites by late November 2027.

Last week, Starlink said it would begin reconfiguring its constellation by lowering satellites operating around 550 kilometers to 480 kilometers during 2026. The move is intended to improve space safety.

In December, Starlink reported that one satellite experienced an anomaly in orbit. The incident created a small amount of debris and ended communications with the spacecraft at about 418 kilometers.

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is the world’s largest satellite operator through its Starlink network. The constellation includes about 9,400 satellites serving consumer, government, and enterprise customers. A planned launch of additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites would nearly double that number.

In 2024, former FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel urged greater competition in satellite broadband. She said at the time that Starlink controlled nearly two-thirds of all active satellites.