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The FCC's April 30, 2026 satellite power order: what it means if you keep DIRECTV or DISH
Adopted April 30, 2026, the order sits between satellite operators, not between the two dishes on your roof. What it says, and what a household keeping satellite TV can check.
- The FCC voted on April 30, 2026, to replace fixed power limits on low-orbit satellite systems with performance-based protection for geostationary networks, satellite TV included.
- Satellite TV operators, DIRECTV among them, had warned the change could degrade their service.
- The rule governs satellite operators, not the dishes on a house; Starlink says its dish doesn't send or receive through the geostationary belt.
- For most households that keep satellite TV, nothing needs doing now; if the picture breaks up, check the TV dish's own view of the sky first.
The event
Happened on . Primary source: govinfo.gov.
This report covers an order the FCC adopted on April 30, 2026. That day, the FCC voted 3–0 to replace the decades-old power limits that low-orbit satellite systems such as Starlink must respect toward geostationary satellites, the kind DIRECTV and DISH use for TV. In their place come performance-based protection criteria for geostationary networks and coordination between operators. For a home that keeps satellite TV, nothing changes on the roof.
What changed
The rules in question are called EPFD limits, short for equivalent power flux density. In plain words, they cap the combined signal a low-orbit system may put on the ground in the direction of geostationary satellites. That’s our description, not the order’s wording.
The order, FCC 26-26 in SB Docket No. 25-157, was adopted on April 30, released on May 1 and published in the Federal Register on May 13, 2026. It replaces the fixed limits with protection criteria based on how geostationary networks, satellite TV among them, actually perform, plus coordination between operators. Satellite Today’s report on the vote says the FCC expects the change to open more capacity for low-orbit broadband.
Who objected
Satellite TV operators, DIRECTV among them, had warned that loosening the limits could degrade their service. SatNews reported the dispute between SpaceX and the geostationary operators in March 2026, before the vote.
What it means at home
This is a rule between satellite systems, not between the two dishes on your house. Geostationary networks stay protected under the order; what changes is how that protection is defined and enforced. We draw that from the press reports and the Federal Register notice.
Two things already apply at the household level:
- Starlink stays out of the geostationary belt. Starlink’s help article on its obstruction map (read Nov 3, 2026) says the clear band on the map is the geostationary exclusion zone, and that “Starlink does not send or receive through this area, so it does not interfere with geostationary satellites, which remain fixed above the equator.”
- DISH has its own spacing rule. DISH’s Starlink page says: “Place your Starlink dish at least 10-20ft from your DISH tv antenna.” That’s DISH’s guidance; Starlink publishes no spacing advice for a nearby TV dish.
Whether satellite TV reception changes once operators work under the new criteria can’t be measured yet.
What to do now
- Nothing, for most households. No equipment, setting or contract changes because of this order.
- If the TV picture breaks up, check the TV dish first. DIRECTV says its dish “needs a clear view of the southern sky, unblocked by trees or buildings.” DISH says branches, debris or snow can block its signal. Then call your TV provider.
- Keep the two dishes out of each other’s view. The DISH page covers two dishes on one roof, the DIRECTV page covers keeping satellite TV beside Starlink internet, and how it works shows where each system looks in the sky.
DIRECTV with Starlink internet →
What gamers and cord-cutters ask
Can Starlink interfere with DIRECTV or DISH?
Starlink says it does not send or receive through the band of sky where geostationary satellites sit, so it does not interfere with them. DISH's own guidance is to place the Starlink dish at least 10–20 ft from the DISH TV antenna.
Does the FCC order change anything on my roof?
No. It changes how interference between satellite systems is limited and measured, not where or how you mount a dish (our reading).
What should I do if my satellite TV picture breaks up?
Check the TV dish's view first: DIRECTV wants its dish aimed at open southern sky, and DISH says branches, debris or snow can block the signal. Then contact your TV provider.
Sources
- Federal Register, May 13, 2026, document 2026-09565 (FCC order on satellite power limits) (retrieved Nov 4, 2026)
- FCC updates EPFD framework that covers GEO-NGSO spectrum sharing (Via Satellite / Satellite Today, April 30, 2026) (retrieved Nov 4, 2026)
- SpaceX and GSO giants clash over FCC spectrum-sharing rules and power limits (SatNews, March 22, 2026) (retrieved Nov 4, 2026)
- How should I interpret the obstruction map? (Starlink help center) (retrieved Nov 3, 2026)
- Starlink Internet through DISH (DISH support) (retrieved Nov 3, 2026)
- DIRECTV satellite dish installation (DIRECTV support) (retrieved Nov 3, 2026)
- Troubleshoot signal loss (DISH support) (retrieved Nov 3, 2026)
Every figure keeps the date we last looked it up; our fact rules say how. When one turns out wrong or stale, the fix is dated on the corrections page.