starlink arrived in Spain in September 2023 to offer high-speed broadband in the most inaccessible places in the country. This satellite Internet service gives users a continuous connection thanks to the satellite constellation which orbits the Earth, also provides an average speed of 130 megabytes per second. But, with the aim of offering more services to its clients, Starlink already offers mobile calls thanks to its satellites.
This news comes at a time when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized Elon Musk’s company to providing satellite internet to US T-Mobile customers.
This license is the first collaboration between a satellite operator and a wireless service provider to deliver high-speed broadband from spaceHowever, approval is subject to certain conditions.
First of all, Starlink has to operate as an extension of an existing terrestrial provider —in this case T-Mobile—, you must ensure that your service does not interfere with other services on Earth, you will need compatible devices in the hardware section and, you will also have to figure out how to achieve effective synchronization with a base station.
Future uses of Starlink
SpaceX will be able use certain wireless bandsworking closely with T-Mobile as the ground carrier, to allow customers with compatible devices to communicate.
Furthermore, the main objective of this license is to remove barriers from ground base stationsin this way, the satellites will be able to communicate with high speeds and acceptable latencies.
On the other hand, the FCC states in a release that “the Commission recognized that satellite-to-device connectivity can support critical public interest benefitsincluding ubiquitous connectivity, access to 911 service from remote areas, technological advancement, and innovative use of spectrum.”
Satellites will be able to operate at this altitude
US regulators call this service ‘Supplemental Coverage from Space’ (SCS), and the FCC has authorized SpaceX to operate any of the remaining 7,500 approved satellites at altitudes of 340, 345, 350 and 360 kilometers high.
Consequently, any deployment below 400 kilometers will have to be reviewed and approved by NASA, because it is near the lower limit of the International Space Station’s orbit.