Getty Images | Michael Gonzalez
The Federal Communications Commission says it wants to help satellite and mobile carriers partner to bridge the gap in wireless networks. In a 4-0 vote, the FCC said yesterday that satellite operators and wireless companies would “leverage the growth of space-based services to reach remote, underserved and underserved areas.” It proposed a “new regulatory framework” designed to help “connect smartphone users.”
In August 2022, Starlink operators SpaceX and T-Mobile announced plans to provide space-to-ground service to mobile phones in areas not covered by T-Mobile’s cellular network. SpaceX said this week that the two companies plan to begin testing satellite-to-cell services later this year. Text messaging is expected to be the first service supported, with voice and internet coverage to be added later.
“There have been a number of such collaborations recently initiated, and the FCC is establishing a clear and transparent process to support supplemental coverage from space,” the FCC said yesterday.
The FCC voted to approve a Notice of Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking public comment on plans to regulate these collaborations and increase access to the spectrum needed to provide hybrid services. NPRM “proposes a framework by which satellite operators working with ground service providers can obtain FCC authorization to operate space stations in the specific currently licensed flexible-use spectrum allocated for ground services. We do,” the FCC said.
The FCC also said it “proposes additional allocations for mobile satellite services in some terrestrial flexible bands.” Operators of low-Earth orbit satellites like Starlink “can apply for access to terrestrial spectrum if certain prerequisites are met, including leasing from terrestrial licensees within certain geographic areas.” said the FCC.
Remote emergency calls and texts
If approved, the satellite operator “will be able to serve the wireless provider’s customers when they need connectivity in, for example, remote locations such as the middle of the Chihuahua desert, Lake Michigan, the 100-mile wilderness, or the Uinta Mountains.” ,” said the FCC.
The FCC said the new regulatory framework “best supports access to emergency response systems such as 911 and wireless emergency alerts when consumers are connected via supplemental coverage from space. “We are seeking public comment on the method,” he said. The agency is also seeking input on “whether the framework can be extended to other bands, locations, and applications that such collaborations may support.”
FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel said the satellite-mobile collaboration may not initially provide high-speed broadband to phones. “But first and foremost, it can provide a low-bandwidth connection suitable for emergency calls and texts in remote areas where terrestrial networks cannot reach,” she said.
Rosenworcel said, “Because of the challenges around access to airwaves, frequencies that are not all globally coordinated, the potential for interference that must be managed, and standards work that could help expand these capabilities. , new regulations are needed. With growing interest in the potential convergence of satellite and terrestrial services, an ad-hoc, case-by-case approach to these new undertakings is no longer sufficient.”
Starlink/T-Mobile is one of several venture companies.
A draft of the NPRM, released weeks before yesterday’s vote, noted that several satellite-to-phone services were on the way. According to the FCC, SpaceX and T-Mobile are proposing to “use a block of T-Mobile’s nationally held mid-band Personal Communications Service (PCS) spectrum.” has submitted an application to the Commission detailing the proposed partnered services, including a request for SpaceX’s approval to use T-Mobile’s PCS G-block spectrum for ‘direct-to-cellular’ operations.” The letter contains several requests for exemptions from the FCC’s existing rules.
Outside the United States, “Lynk Global partners with a number of mobile network operators (MNOs) around the world to enable customers to send texts using Lynk’s satellite network,” the FCC said. “Similar to SpaceX/T-Mobile’s proposal, Lynk is a potential candidate for this type of service during emergencies and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods and earthquakes, which often cause destruction or damage to mobile phones on the ground. We have emphasized the importance of public safety: network equipment and consequent service outages.”
Lynk also filed an application with the FCC to “obtain commission authority to test communications between satellites and mobile devices,” the NPRM draft says.
Texas-based AST SpaceMobile said it “deployed a BlueWalker 3 test satellite in November 2022, demonstrating its plans to develop a global network that will serve smartphones directly from the satellite.” FCC said. AST has filed an application to provide service in the United States, stating that it has “partnered with multiple MNOs for planned services, including AT&T and Vodafone, and that partnerships will be extended to remote and “off-grid” locations. It is described as being able to provide service,” the FCC said. Said.
AST has applied for market access, but “current requirements are limited to feeder link frequencies only, and there is no current requirement for direct market access to handsets,” the FCC said.
According to Bloomberg, “The FCC has changed draft language proposing to ban the use of frequencies used for satellite calls by AT&T and Midland, Texas-based startup AST SpaceMobile, and now prohibits their use. FCC staff said in a news release that they have asked for comment on allowing the spectrum to be allocated to FirstNet, a wireless network operated by AT&T for public safety personnel. and AST SpaceMobile have both asked the FCC to allow direct satellite service over the FirstNet airwaves.Test the service.”
