Satellite

Communications facilitated by equipment that orbits around the earth.

Hughes satellite internet gets a little help from its (wireless) friends

Hughes has been offering geosynchronous (GEO) satellite-based internet service for a couple of decades. It has more than 1 million internet subscribers in the Americas. But now it’s boosting its service with the help of some terrestrial wireless providers. HughesNet Fusion is a new home internet offering that combines satellite and wireless technologies to improve latency.

April 2023 Open Meeting Agenda

Here is the agenda for the Federal Communications Commission's April open meeting:

SpaceX accuses Dish, RS Access of pivot in 12 GHz tussle

A SpaceX filing with the Federal Communications Commission prompted the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition to say “hold on a minute” and reiterate its mission to make spectrum in the lower 12 GHz available for terrestrial 5G services. Citing reports by New Street Research, SpaceX said in a March 21 filing that Dish and RS Access, the latter of which it described as “Michael Dell’s Personal Family Trust,” have “abandoned their quest to have the [FCC] hand them new rights for high-powered terrestrial mobile services in the 12.2-12.7 GHz (12 GHz) band.” Bu

Good Enough Broadband

Several local politicians ask me why they should pursue getting grant funding for their county since Starlink satellite and fixed-wireless access (FWA) cellular broadband seem like good broadband alternatives that are already here today. I hate to tell them that these technologies are not a good permanent solution. At the same time, I stress that they should be promoting these technologies to make sure that folks know there are some better alternatives available today than other extremely slow broadband options.

FCC Proposes Framework to Facilitate Supplemental Coverage From Space

The Federal Communications Commission proposed a new regulatory framework to facilitate innovative collaborations between satellite operators and wireless companies. These partnerships leverage the growth in space-based services to connect smartphone users in remote, unserved, and underserved areas. Numerous such collaborations have been launched recently, and the FCC seeks to establish clear and transparent processes to support supplemental coverage from space.

Chairwoman Rosenworcel Remarks at Satellite Industry Association Dinner

The Federal Communications Commission has big plans for that future. Because a few months ago, I announced a shake-up at the Federal Communications Commission. I shared my plans to reorganize the agency to create a new Space Bureau. This effort is part of what I believe needs to be a broader rethinking of satellite policy in the United States. There are now new technologies in the space industry, thousands of satellite applications pending before the agency, and so many more innovations on the horizon that I believe we cannot keep doing things the old way and expect to thrive in the new.

Here’s your first look at Project Kuiper’s low-cost customer terminals

Project Kuiper is Amazon’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. Its mission is to bridge the digital divide by providing fast, affordable broadband to communities unserved or underserved by traditional communications technologies. To use the service, customers will install an outdoor antenna—called a customer terminal—to communicate with satellites passing overhead.

Starlink explains why its FCC map listings are so different from reality

SpaceX has offered a public explanation for why Starlink's actual service availability falls far short of what it claimed on the Federal Communications Commission's national broadband map. SpaceX's FCC filings indicate it offers fixed broadband at virtually every address in the US even though the Starlink website's service map shows it has a waitlist in huge portions of the country.  SpaceX removed some homes from the FCC database when residents filed challenges because they were unable to order Starlink at addresses listed as served on the FCC map. SpaceX tried to clear up the confusion in

House Commerce Committee Leaders Rodgers, Pallone Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Encourage Investment and Innovation in Satellite Communications

America must keep pace with the rapidly evolving satellite communications industry and ensure the United States is leading the way in next-generation satellite technologies. Satellites can connect people in hard-to-reach areas with high-speed internet service, provide more competitive choices in the market, and boost everyday services in the transportation and emergency communications sectors. Together the Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act and the Secure Space Act will unleash American innovation, streamline our regulatory processes, preserve U.S.

Where will net adds come from once there’s Internet for All?

President Joe Biden’s administration has set an ambitious goal to deliver Internet for All using $42.5 billion in funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. It’s not entirely clear how realistic that goal is.