Satellite

Since 2011, the KA-SAT satellite has helped homeowners, businesses, and militaries across Europe get online. However, as Russian troops moved into Ukraine during the early hours of February 24, satellite internet connections were disrupted. A mysterious cyberattack against the Viasat-owned satellite’s ground infrastructure—not the satellite itself—plunged tens of thousands of people into internet darkness. Almost a month after the attack, the disruptions continue. Thousands still remain offline in Europe and companies are racing to replace broken modems or fix connections with updates.

Given rapid advancements in the American space sector, we appreciate the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) raising questions about how to update its satellite rules to ensure they keep pace with innovation. With recent efforts by Congress and the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), we have an opportunity to continue American leadership in a competitive global satellite marketplace.

Fast satellite internet is already a huge boon to rural communities that might otherwise be too remote for fixed broadband service.

Sens John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Safely Accessing Telecommunications (SAT) Act, which would authorize the US State Department and Department of Defense to enter into contracts with satellite cellular and internet providers to provide direct connectivity in conflict regions. The SAT Act would:

SpaceX has withstood attacks from powerhouse competitors like Amazon in the internet space race, but now must overcome warnings from NASA that its fleet of second-generation satellites could hamper asteroid detection work. SpaceX wants to launch up to 30,000 satellites for its Starlink internet service to improve the speeds and service from the roughly 2,000 satellites currently deployed in its first-generation network. The company has begun building the second-generation satellites, or Gen2, in anticipation of launching as early as March 2022.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the company's Starlink satellite internet service has been activated in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion into the country. This comes as internet outages have been reported in parts of Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict. SpaceX has a network of almost 2,000 low-orbit satellites that help get internet to remote areas around the world.

A satellite launch expected lin 2022 could expand the availability of high-speed internet for the nation’s students. The launch of ViaSat-3, a trio of ultra high capacity GEO satellites, is part of ViaSat's ambition to create a global network of high-capacity internet.

When we first heard of the possibility of broadband from low-orbit satellites, there was a lot of speculation that the technology could bring affordable broadband to the masses around the globe. The latest announcement from Starlink shows that affordable broadband is probably not coming in the immediate future. Starlink announced a premium tier of service with a $500 monthly fee for 150-500 Mbps. The receiver has a one-time cost of $2,500. The product offers faster speeds by doubling the size of the receiving area of the receiver.

Vodafone is working with US-based AST SpaceMobile to plan a satellite strategy so that customers in remote locations can use their existing mobile devices to access voice and data services. Vodafone has 300 million mobile subscribers across Europe and Africa, along with 28 million fixed broadband customers. Vodafone's Chief Technology Officer Johan Wibergh said that the company has invested in and partnered with AST SpaceMobile with the aim of closing vast coverage gaps using a planned network of satellites.