Elon Musk dials up FCC Chairman Pai to discuss 12 GHz band

The battle over the 12 GHz band – one that some say could provide much-needed mid-band spectrum for 5G in the US – is heating up, including among a group of unlikely collaborators. SpaceX disclosed that CEO Elon Musk was among those on a conference call with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai that included discussion of the 12 GHz band. Separately, SpaceX was part of a group of players arguing against a proposal by Dish Network that would have the FCC take a closer look at the rules for the 12 GHz band and potentially make it usable for 5G. Here’s where it gets stranger. The signatories to the letter opposing Dish’s proposal include the aforementioned SpaceX, as well as AT&T, OneWeb, SES, Intelsat and Kepler Communications. In another world, apparently, SES and Intelsat were at one another’s throats when they parted ways over the C-Band Alliance. But they share the belief that the Dish petition should be dismissed.