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New broadband offerings, including high-speed Internet access and video-on-demand, may be coming soon, thanks to an April 18 decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The agency has approved plans by seven companies to offer broadband services via satellites, using shared Ku-band frequencies (10.7–14.5GHz), according to an FCC announcement. The companies receiving the licenses are Hughes Electronics of El Segundo, CA (parent company of DirecTV); Boeing, of Chicago; Teledesic of Bellevue, WA; Virtual Geosatellite of Washington, DC; Denali Telecom; SkyBridge LLC; and Loral Space & Communications, all in New York.

In a related ruling, the FCC approved a technique for sharing bandwidth among the companies' geosynchronous satellites. The technique is said to reduce the problem of interference. At times, satellites on the same frequency can have a problem known as "an in-line interference event." The shared-frequency solution splits the frequencies used during the interference to prevent communications disruptions, according to FCC officials.

"Today we will have seven companies providing services in the Ku-band," said FCC commissioner Kathleen Abernathy. "It is a very complex sharing arrangement, and I'm thankful that we were able to work with the industry to come up with this specific type of remedy." Abernathy said she believes the new licenses will encourage competition and drive down costs for consumers, while prompting the development of new services.