AT&T filed some concerns with the FCC on Thursday about T-Mobile and Starlink owner SpaceX’s plans to allow mobile phones to connect to Starlink satellites (via Ars Technica).
In its filing, AT&T argues that SCS, or “supplemental coverage from space,” should not block terrestrial wireless service and that the FCC “should prioritize” protecting terrestrial networks, and that T-Mobile and SpaceX’s proposals do not contain enough information about interference. Possible. “Applicants’ technical offerings are woefully inadequate regarding the risk of harmful interference posed by planned SCS deployments,” AT&T said. “SpaceX and T-Mobile’s applications fall far short of meeting the waiver threshold and cannot be awarded in their current state.”
AT&T’s filing was part of a call for comments from the FCC on T-Mobile and SpaceX’s plans for satellite-to-cell service, announced in August 2022. The idea is that you’ll be able to connect to SpaceX’s second- Starlink satellite generation It is scheduled to be released this year from your mobile phone to do things like send text or multimedia messages.
T-Mobile and SpaceX aren’t expected to launch the service in beta until sometime before the end of this year. But if the FCC throws up roadblocks after this call for comment, we could be waiting much longer.
