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Ofcom wants to tighten U.K. rules over mega-constellations

OneWeb`s constellation. Image: OneWeb video.

Athens, 29 July 2021. – The British watchdog Ofcom wants to tighten the rules that govern satellite mega-constellations, Bloomberg reported.

Satellite systems would be checked in the U.K. for whether they risk degrading other services, and if they could harm competition, Bloomberg said. Ofcom would publish details of licenses it expects to grant, which would require technical co-operation between companies, and give the watchdog the power to manage cases of interference in the U.K.

Ofcom warned that mega-constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb could block each other’s signals, Bloomberg said.

“We do not think we can solely rely on the International Telecommunication Union framework to effectively deal with all concerns impacting non-geostationary satellite orbit services provided in the U.K.,” the news agency quoted Ofcom.

Ofcom’s consultation is due to conclude 20 September.

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