Eleven of 12 surveyed countries in the Americas allow mobile satellite service (MSS) use in the 2 GHz band, while eight also use the spectrum for terrestrial mobile services. The way the band is assigned and used varies across countries.

All 12 surveyed countries allocate spectrum in the 2 GHz range to MSS but Mexico has redirected the band for terrestrial IMT. The active primary MSS allocation in Mexico is only for the ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) of mobile satellite service (MSS). No countries currently use the relevant frequencies for fixed satellite services (FSS). In Brazil, for example, Anatel assigned a licence in the band to AST SpaceMobile and is consulting on licences for three other operators, including Starlink.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations allocate 1980–2010 MHz for earth-to-space and 2170–2200 MHz for space-to-earth mobile satellite services globally. In the Americas, which form ITU Region 2, MSS allocations also cover 2010–2025 MHz and 2160–2170 MHz.

Cullen International's latest Spectrum Benchmark compares 2 GHz spectrum allocations across 12 countries in the Americas, including permitted satellite uses, terrestrial use, spectrum assignments and recent regulatory developments.

To access the full benchmark, please click on “Access the full content” - or on “Request Access”, in case you are not subscribed to our Americas Spectrum service.