FCC approves Elon Musk’s Starlink for cellphone service, with some limits

[Lauren Taylor]

THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION IS CLEARING THE WAY FOR A  GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP INVOLVING ELON MUSK’S SPACE-X SATELLITE BASED INTERNET PROVIDER – BUT IT HAS SOME LIMITS. 

STARLINK IS NOW APPROVED TO PROVIDE T-MOBILE CUSTOMERS CELL PHONE SERVICE … BRINGING ACCESS TO DEAD ZONES AND OTHER REMOTE AREAS. 

THE IS THE FIRST TIME THE F-C–C HAS GIVEN A LICENSE FOR A SATELLITE OPERATOR COLLABORATING WITH A WIRELESS CARRIER.

HOWEVER, THE VERGE REPORTS RESTRICTIONS IN THE F-C-C FILING LIKE THE AGENCY NOT YET ALLOWING STARLINK TO INCREASE SATELLITE RADIO EMISSION POWER FOR REAL-TIME VOICE AND VIDEO CALLS. 

SPACE-X SAID LAST MONTH IT WOULD START TESTING BASIC TEXTING CAPABILITIES AND SUPPORT FOR VOICE AND DATA ISN’T EXPECTED TO ARRIVE UNTIL NEXT YEAR. 

A-T AND T AND VERIZON ARE RAISING CONCERNS THAT ALLOWING SPACE-X TO BYPASS CURRENT POWER LIMITS COULD INTERFERE WITH THEIR NETWORKS. 

THIS WEEK SPACE -X LAUNCHED 24 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM NASA’S KENNEDY SPACE CENTER TO JOIN THE THOUSANDS ALREADY THERE.

3,2,1 ignition go falcon, go starlink

12 SATELLITES FROM THE RECENT MISSION HAVE DIRECT-TO-CELL CAPABILITIES. 

REUTERS REPORTS THERE ARE PENDING APPLICATIONS FROM OTHER COMPANIES, BUT FOR NOW THE F-C-C HAS ONLY GRANTED APPROVAL TO T-MOBILE. 

FOR SAN – I’M LAUREN TAYLOR. 

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