Satellite

RS Access, one of the firms that holds 12 GHz licenses alongside Dish Network, is behind a new analysis that accuses SpaceX of using erroneous data in its evaluation of how satellite companies can use the adjacent 10.7-11.7 GHz band. SpaceX and OneWeb are considered non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service operators, and they contend the 10.7-11.7 GHz band is too encumbered with other users for them to use it for their satellite services. They want to be able to use the 12.2-12.7 GHz band without having to deal with the likes of Dish and/or RS Access.

Scale matters, SpaceX’s lawyer Pratik Shah argued to a panel of three federal appeals court judges — but only the comparatively small-scale plans for upcoming satellite launches, not the gargantuan scale of Elon Musk’s ambitions in the sky and the coming frenzy of launches from some of the most powerful companies on the ground. Shah assured the court the issue wasn’t 4,400 or so satellites originally on the license the Federal Communications Commission granted to SpaceX.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 14, 2021:

The Federal Communications Commission granted a petition from French satellite company Kinéis to offer satellite services in the US market. As detailed in the company’s application, the proposed constellation of 25 small, low-Earth orbit satellites would provide connectivity for Internet of Things devices, as well as enhancements to maritime domain awareness through monitoring of maritime communication.

ViaSat sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the Commission not to approve any Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) funding for ViaSat’s satellite broadband competitor SpaceX. SpaceX is in the process of deploying thousands of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide broadband service with lower latency in comparison with the geostationary satellite broadband service that ViaSat offers. SpaceX was one of the biggest winners in the RDOF auction and was tentatively awarded $885 million to cover some of the costs of providing broadband to unserved rural areas.

California-based aerospace company Astra plans to launch 13,620 satellites as part of its broadband constellation plan, according to its application to the Federal Communications Commission on November 4. Up until now, the company has focused on building and launching rockets. Its plan for its Astra Constellation has a goal of “providing global secure, high-bandwidth connectivity to enable communications services, environmental and natural resource applications, and national security missions.” Astra wants FCC permission to launch in three phases.

Amazon, Boeing and a bunch of other companies may soon join Elon Musk’s SpaceX in beaming internet service from space. Yes, it is cool, but the companies involved and people excited about satellite internet tend to overstate how much good it can realistically do. There are limits to the technology, and structural barriers to internet access cannot be solved by technology alone. Nearly all policy experts and technologists whom I’ve spoken to about satellite internet services say the same thing: Satellite internet won’t be realistic for most people and places.

Amazon's Kuiper Systems asked US regulators for permission to launch another 4,538 satellites that would bolster its constellation as it competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for broadband-from-space customers. The additions would bring Kuiper’s constellation to 7,774 satellites, the company said in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission on November 4.

The Federal Communications Commission approved an application from Boeing for a license to construct, deploy, and operate a satellite constellation. As detailed in its FCC application, Boeing plans to provide

BT Group and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite venture OneWeb are taking an earlier agreement to new heights. The partners signed a deal for connectivity services and expect to fire up the first live trials in early 2022. The global distribution partner agreement announced builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the partners reached in July.