Satellite

The Federal Communications Commission adopted an Order on Reconsideration addressing petitions regarding the Commission’s orbital debris mitigation rules. One of the biggest threats to new space-based innovation and services is abandoned space junk that can collide with the satellites we rely on. The Order on Reconsideration provides clarity and guidance to satellite operators on compliance with orbital debris mitigation policies adopted in 2020.

John Deere will tap SpaceX’s satellite fleet to propel the tractor maker’s digital farming push and help automate planting and harvesting in remote locations. The world’s largest farm machinery manufacturer signed a deal with SpaceX’s Starlink business to connect tractors, seed planters, crop sprayers, and other equipment in areas that lack adequate internet service, allowing them to use Deere’s digital products. Illinois-based Deere has been investing billions of dollars in building out computer-assisted services for farmers, including software that allows herbicide sprayers to distinguish

Jessica Rosenworcel is the boss—chair of the Federal Communications Commission, the 1,600-employee agency that has oversight of how the country communicates, from FM radio to broadcast television to the wires that make up the U.S.’s internet infrastructure.

Happy new year! In the spirit of wishing everyone a safe and healthy new year, we are kicking off 2024 with a monthly open meeting that features a pair of items from our Public Safety Bureau. Here’s everything we have lined up for our January agenda.

T-Mobile’s planned satellite-to-cellphone service came a step closer now that SpaceX Starlink has begun launching satellites that will support the service. Field testing is expected to begin soon. When available, the service will enable T-Mobile customers to have cellphone connectivity in areas where traditional service is not available, and may never be, because of land use restrictions or difficult terrain. T-Mobile and SpaceX announced plans for the satellite-to-cellphone service in August of 2022.

Our goal to “ensure that every person in every community, of every geography and income, has access to modern telecommunications service” has been the North Star of the Federal Communications Commission since its creation in 1934.

EchoStar Corporation completed its acquisition of DISH Network Corporation on December 31, 2023. To complete the acquisition, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar merged with and into DISH Network, with DISH Network surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar. The transaction combines DISH Network’s satellite technology, streaming services, and nationwide 5G network with EchoStar’s premier satellite communications solutions.

It is clear that nobody at the Federal Communications Commission has used the Starlink service. We have a cabin in the woods in rural South Carolina that is in an internet desert. It gets no wired internet, no wired telephone service and weak and spotty cellphone service, with no prospect of improvement. I recently subscribed to the Starlink standard service. The equipment arrived promptly, setup was quick and easy, and the signal is rock solid, with no weather interruptions. Download speed is as fast as the wired internet service at our home in town.

Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar company, launched its third geosynchronous satellite — Jupiter 3 — in July 2023. The company recently announced new satellite internet plans for the lower 48 US states, leveraging the higher capacity of Jupiter 3. Hughes claims Jupiter 3 is the world’s largest commercial communications satellite, and it enables Hughes to deliver download speeds up to 100 Megabits per second.

Amazon executives tend to describe their satellite venture, Project Kuiper, in philanthropic terms, emphasizing its potential to connect people in remote or impoverished areas with education and global commerce. Less altruistically, Amazon also hopes the $10-billion-plus project can transform it into a global telecommunications giant.