V band

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission has allocated the frequency band from 57 to 71 GHz for unlicensed wireless systems.

[4] 60 GHz is attractive for secure satellite crosslinks because it allows for high data rates, narrow beams and, lying in a strong absorption band of oxygen, provides protection against intercept by ground-based adversaries.

The WiGig standard IEEE 802.11ad and IEEE 802.11ay utilize the 60 GHz (EHF microwave) spectrum with data transfer rates of up to 7 Gbit/s for very short ranges of up to 10 metres (33 ft)[5] Internet service providers are looking for ways to expand gigabit high-speed services to their customers.

This makes V band an appealing choice to be used as fixed wireless access for gigabit services to connect to homes and businesses.

As of March 2017[update], several US, UK and Canadian companies—Boeing, SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat, O3b Networks and Theia Holdings—have each filed with the US regulatory authorities (FCC) "plans to field constellations of V-band satellites in non-geosynchronous orbits to provide communications services", an electromagnetic spectrum that had not previously been "heavily employed for commercial communications services".