Alex Bruno
Users of the Starlink satellite internet service from SpaceX received an email earlier today requesting their support in the company’s campaign to protect the 12GHz spectrum for satellite internet usage. Through user terminals that transmit data to and from satellites circling the Earth in low Earth orbit, Starlink enables its customers to access the Internet (LEO).
When connecting to the satellites, these terminals utilize the 12GHz frequency, which is also used by DISH and other multichannel video and data distribution service (MVDDS) providers. Both of these companies have long-standing agreements with the government to use this spectrum. The 12GHz bandwidth has been a source of disagreement at the FCC for a time, and things became more heated when SpaceX began to launch satellites quickly, provide customers with equipment, and expose its network to the general public.
Starlink claims that a “lobbying effort” would put an end to the service in America, and it is asking its users to assist it to stop. The strong stance that Starlink has adopted toward the subject that is essential to its existence is continued in today’s email, which was posted by a number of people on the social media site Reddit.
There has long been disagreement between satellite and terrestrial internet providers over the 12GHz spectrum and the 500Mhz of it, and Starlink has maintained that it should be allowed to keep access to it since all others awarded the right of development have failed in their obligations.
Despite the fact that DISH and Starlink’s satellites are quite distinct from one another, the fact that both user terminals utilize the same frequency creates the potential for considerable interference between the two. The interference itself has generated controversy, with DISH and others first arguing that NGSO FSS firms cannot co-exist in the same spectrum but then submitting more tests that demonstrated that coexistence is viable. This dispute is still going on before the FCC.
After more than a year, Starlink responded last month with a review of its own that revealed startling issues with how it does business. This research is now being included in an email that urges American customers to get in touch with their representatives in the House of Representatives and inform them of the advantages of utilizing Starlink.
SpaceXMania has a copy of the email, which is as follows:
Today we ask for your support in ending a lobbying campaign that threatens to make Starlink unusable for you and the vast majority of our American customers.
As recently reported, DISH Network has been hoarding spectrum for years as a strategy for preventing open and fair competition.
More recently, DISH has been attempting to claim new rights to the 12GHz band, which is the spectrum you currently use to download content with Starlink. Despite technical studies dating back as far as 2016 that refute the basis of their claims, DISH has employed paid lobbyists who are attempting to mislead the FCC with faulty analysis in hopes of obscuring the truth.
In reality, if DISH gets their way, Starlink customers will experience harmful interference more than 77% of the time and total outage of service 74% of the time, rendering Starlink unusable for most Americans. The email then shares links to the most recent report from SpaceX and a webpage where readers may voice their opinions to policymakers.
Source: WccFtech
