Space Bureau Approves SpaceX/T-Mobile Commercial Direct-to-Smartphone Service
SpaceX received the FCC Space Bureau go-ahead to provide commercial supplemental coverage from space services using its Starlink satellites, as expected (see 2410290033). In an FCC Space Bureau order issued Tuesday, the bureau said the direct-to-smartphone service -- in partnership…
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with T-Mobile and using 1910-1915 MHz unlinks and 1990-1995 MHz downlinks on a secondary basis -- is unlikely to cause harmful interference with in-band terrestrial operations. In addition, the bureau said it's in T-Mobile's "best interest to ensure that SpaceX will not cause harmful interference." The bureau's "rigorous analysis" of SpaceX plans indicate the satellite company can adjust its equivalent isotropically radiated power in a way that won't cause interference with Omnispace, which had raised interference concerns with the agency (see 2410080045). The bureau said it also believes SpaceX can adequately protect adjacent-band users against interference from its downlinks. The bureau said it was deferring consideration of SpaceX's request for relaxed out-of-band power flux density limits (see 2408130008) but signed off on the company operating its second-generation satellites at a lower, 340-360 km orbital shell for D2D service (see 2403250003). And the bureau approved SpaceX's use of very high frequency beacons in that altitude range. The agency had signed off earlier this month on VHF beacons for second-generation Starlinks but not at those altitudes (see 2411210045).