Ordinary smartphones will be able to connect: Starlink will soon provide satellite cellular service
Elon Musk’s company plans to start testing satellite cellular services using 840 spacecraft next month.
At the end of last year, it became known that SpaceX intends to equip Starlink telecommunications satellites with equipment that will allow them to be used for cellular communication – ordinary smartphones will be able to connect without any modifications.
This week, SpaceX filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a license that will allow it to conduct experimental testing of a cellular service using Starlink satellites. At the same time, the regulator is considering whether to issue SpaceX a full-fledged license that will allow it to provide cellular services to customers, as there are concerns about the quality of the services.
The documents submitted to the FCC indicate that SpaceX is requesting “special temporary authority ” to conduct a series of tests starting on December 10 for a period of 180 days. During this time, SpaceX, in partnership with T-Mobile, plans to test cellular communications using the mobile operator’s licensed frequency spectrum to transmit signals from satellites at 2,000 meters. test devices.
“During the 180-day experimental period, SpaceX plans to operate approximately 840 satellites with direct cellular payloads. At any given time, 60 of the 840 satellites will be serving mobile phones in the United States under this experimental authorization,” SpaceX said in a statement.
At this stage, the company wants to test satellite cellular communication in 13 areas of the country, including Mountain View in California, Kansas City in Kansas, and Houston in Texas.
It should be noted that this is not the first time SpaceX has applied for cellular testing. A similar application, in which the company planned to obtain permission to conduct tests within 60 days, was filed in October. However, SpaceX’s application then faced opposition from AT&T and the Rural Wireless Association, which said the company should have applied to the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology for a temporary license. SpaceX’s application filed this week was sent to this particular division of the FCC.
