AT&T has filed some concerns to the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday regarding T-Mobile’s and Starlink owner SpaceX plans to allow mobile phones to connect to Starlink satellites.
AT&T’s filing argues in its filing that “supplemental coverage from the space” (SCS) should not interfere with terrestrial wireless service, that the FCC must “prioritize” protecting terrestrial networks and that T-Mobile’s and SpaceX’s proposals lack enough information regarding potential interference. AT&T stated that the applicants’ technical demonstrations were woefully inadequate regarding the risks of harmful interference caused by their SCS deployments. SpaceX and T-Mobile applications do not meet the threshold to be granted a waiver.
AT&T’s filing was part of a call for comments from the FCC on T-Mobile and SpaceX’s plans for the satellite-to-cellular service, which were announced in August 2022. You’d be connected to SpaceX’s second generation Starlink satellites which are set to launch in this year via your mobile phone, allowing you to send text messages or MMS.
T-Mobile’s and SpaceX’s beta service won’t launch until the end of the year. If the FCC puts up roadblocks after this request for comments, then we may have to wait even longer.
