Space race: Starlink, OneWeb, Amazon's Project Kuiper battle for spectrum
There's a new space race going on—not for the Moon, but for internet access from space.
Companies like SpaceX's Starlink, OneWeb, Amazon's Project Kuiper, and China's GuoWang are launching thousands of satellites to beam high-speed internet everywhere, especially to places regular broadband can't reach.
With demand soaring, this market is expected to keep booming through 2032.
Why everyone wants a piece of the sky
Starlink leads the pack with over 8,000 satellites already in orbit and plans for tens of thousands more.
But here's the catch: all these satellites need special radio frequencies (like Ku-band and Ka-band) and specific spots in orbit to work smoothly.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)—think of it as space traffic control—tries to manage who gets what slot or frequency.
But with so many new satellites coming online fast, even they're finding it tough to keep up.
What's next: New rules for crowded skies
With satellite numbers set to top 50,000 by 2030, big changes are on the way.
The recent World Radiocommunication Conference pushed for stricter rules on how companies claim orbits and use frequencies—hoping to keep things fair and avoid chaos as our skies get busier than ever.