Photo: Unsplash - Marc-Olivier Jodoin

Satellites, drones, and high-altitude platforms are changing how we connect—but outdated rules risk holding them back. A new study call for urgent updates to spectrum policy and airspace laws to support this fast-growing field. Smarter regulation and global cooperation are key to unlocking the full potential of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and ensuring safe, fair, and reliable connectivity for everyone.

Regulating for Lift-Off

The skies are set to become more crowded, connected, and complex. To ensure that NTNs) can deliver on their transformative potential, policymakers must act decisively to modernize spectrum policy and regulatory frameworks. As a new study makes clear, laying the legal and technical foundations today is essential to building a truly connected world tomorrow.

NTNs promise seamless global connectivity and new opportunities for air mobility, but these benefits hinge on our ability to rethink governance structures built for an earlier era. From spectrum allocation to legal jurisdiction, the challenges are as vast as the altitudes NTNs aim to operate in.

A New Age of Connectivity Above the Ground

NTNs—spanning low-Earth Orbit Satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and high-altitude platform systems (HAPS)—are redefining how we think about infrastructure. These technologies have the potential to extend coverage to the remotest corners of the Earth, support emergency communications, and enable services like airborne internet and real-time data relays. But the frameworks required for their safe and effective integration into terrestrial networks as well as national and international airspace are still catching up.

Bengt Mölleryd, senior analyst at SPIDER, is one of the authors behind the study. His work highlights the need for cohesive legal and technical groundwork to unlock the full value of these evolving technologies.

Spectrum Policy: The Core Battleground

Access to radio frequency spectrum is the lifeblood of NTNs. Yet, current spectrum governance is often rigid, fragmented, and ill-equipped for the dynamic, cross-border nature of airborne networks.

Key challenges include:

• Spectrum Scarcity and Fragmentation: Decades-old frameworks make it difficult for new players to access the necessary frequency bands as well as spectrum allocation for terrestrial networks, NTNs and aviation are done according to different principles.
• Coordination Failures: Without strong international alignment, interference between satellite, aviation, and terrestrial services will grow.
• Lack of Flexibility: Static licensing regimes hinder innovation and slow deployment.

The researchers call for adaptive, technology-neutral spectrum policies with dynamic sharing models, especially in underutilized bands. This approach could ensure both innovation and fairness in the spectrum economy.

Legal Reforms for a New Mobility Frontier

Beyond spectrum, the study identifies critical legal gaps:

• Airspace Governance: Many NTNs operate in altitudes governed by ITU regulation while terrestrial networks are governed by national laws. Jurisdiction and sovereignty require clarification for three dimensional networks.
• Cross-Sector Collaboration: NTNs span telecom, aviation, and space domains—yet no single legal framework accommodates all three.
• Licensing and Liability: As NTNs proliferate, so do questions about accountability, national security especially in the event of interference, failure, or breach.

Towards a Coherent Global Framework

The study urges a shift from reactive to proactive governance:

• Proactive Policy Development: Legislators must plan ahead, not wait for NTNs to become fully established.
• Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue: Engineers, regulators, industry leaders, and international institutions must collaborate to shape future standards.
• Experimentation Zones: Regulatory sandboxes and pilot programs can help test innovative policies in controlled, real-world environments.