Wednesday, November 27, 2024

SpaceX gets FCC green light for Starlink direct-to-phone deal with T-Mobile

Good news!

"... Still, it’s a coup for Starlink, which will get its foot in the door in the US market before its rivals, including existing direct-to-phone satellite provider Lynk, which is already in orbit but has no US commercial partners. SpaceX will be able to use certain wireless bands, in close partnership with T-Mobile as the terrestrial operator, to allow customers with compatible devices to communicate. ...

There are a few limitations on how this type of service (which the FCC calls “supplemental coverage from space,” or SCS) can work. Right now it officially has to operate as an extension of an existing terrestrial provider, in this case T-Mobile. That’s because the regulations on how you broadcast stuff in space are different from those for how you broadcast stuff to and from a phone (as opposed to a base station antenna). AT&T, for its part, is partnering with AST SpaceMobile.

SpaceX must also be sure that its service does not interfere with other services on the ground, while the ground services do not have to worry about whether they might interfere with the satellite signals. ..."

SpaceX gets FCC green light for Starlink direct-to-phone deal with T-Mobile | TechCrunch

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