Starlink for phones FCC approves Starlink plan for cellular phone service, with some limits Starlink can provide cell service but FCC defers action on waiver of power limits. Jon Brodkin Nov 27, 2024 12:40 pm | 1 Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability. Credit: SpaceX Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability. Credit: SpaceX Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreStarlink yesterday obtained federal approval to provide service to cell phones, with some limits. The Federal Communications Commission issued an order that partially grants SpaceX's application while imposing conditions and deferring a decision on some aspects of the application.Starlink received approval to provide Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) within the United States. This means that in areas not covered by terrestrial cellular networks, Starlink satellites can provide service to cell phones. SpaceX already had approval to launch 7,500 second-generation satellites for its existing broadband service, and the new approval allows mobile service from those satellites.The approval lets Starlink and T-Mobile move ahead with their plan to provide satellite service to phones in cellular dead spots. SpaceX is authorized to use the 19101915 MHz (Earth-to-space) and 19901995 MHz (space-to-Earth) bands for SCS pursuant to its lease agreement with T-Mobile. The lease covers the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico."Through its lease arrangement with T-Mobile, SpaceX's Gen2 Starlink satellites can enable consumers outside the range of T-Mobile's network to be connected while using their existing devices," the FCC order said. "We find that SpaceX and T-Mobile's SCS operations will yield many benefits, including an increase in access to emergency services in areas where consumers would otherwise not have the capability to access a terrestrial network to call or text 911, as evidenced, for example, through SpaceX's provision of emergency SCS in areas affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton."The FCC also granted Starlink's request to provide service to cell phones (aka "direct-to-cell") outside the United States. For non-US operations, Starlink must obtain authorization from the relevant governments. The non-US operations are authorized in various sub-bands between 1429 MHz and 2690 MHz.Eliminating cellular dead zonesStarlink says it will offer texting service this year as well as voice and data services in 2025. Starlink does not yet have FCC approval to exceed certain emissions limits, which the company has said will be detrimental for real-time voice and video communications.For the operations approved yesterday, Starlink is required to coordinate with other spectrum users and cease transmissions when any harmful interference is detected. "We hope to activate employee beta service in the US soon," wrote Ben Longmier, SpaceX's senior director of satellite engineering.Longmier made a pitch to cellular carriers. "Any telco that signs up with Starlink Direct to Cell can completely eliminate cellular dead zones for their entire country for text and data services. This includes coastal waterways and the ocean areas in between land for island nations," he wrote.Starlink launched its first satellites with cellular capabilities in January 2024. "Of the more than 2,600 Gen2 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit, around 320 are equipped with a direct-to-smartphone payload, enough to enable the texting services SpaceX has said it could launch this year," SpaceNews wrote yesterday.Yesterday's FCC order also lets Starlink operate up to 7,500 second-generation satellites in altitudes between 340 km and 360 km, in addition to the previously approved altitudes between 525 km and 535 km. SpaceX is seeking approval for another 22,488 satellites but the FCC continued to defer action on that request. The FCC order said:Authorization to permit SpaceX to operate up to 7,500 Gen2 satellites in lower altitude shells will enable SpaceX to begin providing lower-latency satellite service to support growing demand in rural and remote areas that lack terrestrial wireless service options. This partial grant also strikes the right balance between allowing SpaceX's operations at lower altitudes to provide low-latency satellite service and permitting the Commission to continue to monitor SpaceX's constellation and evaluate issues previously raised on the record.Coordination with NASASpaceX is required to coordinate "with NASA to ensure protection of the International Space Station (ISS), ISS visiting vehicles, and launch windows for NASA science missions," the FCC said. "SpaceX may only deploy and operate at altitudes below 400 km the total number of satellites for which it has completed physical coordination with NASA under the parties' Space Act Agreement."The FCC said that operation "at lower altitudes will improve service to SpaceX's customers, as well as reduce risk of long-term debris at these altitudes by reducing collision risk and satellite demise times in the event of an anomaly on orbit." The FCC said it will "continue to monitor operations, noting additional issues raised in the Gen2 application record regarding interference, orbital debris mitigation, and impacts on optical astronomy with respect to SpaceX's entire proposed constellation of nearly 30,000 satellites."AT&T and Verizon had urged the FCC to reject SpaceX's request for a waiver of rules regarding out-of-band emission (OOBE) limits, alleging that the satellite system would interfere with and degrade service for terrestrial mobile broadband networks. There was also opposition from satellite companies EchoStar (owner of Dish and Hughes) and Omnispace.The FCC decided to defer consideration of the OOBE waiver request. "With this Order, we require SpaceX to comply with the OOBE limit in section 25.202(k)(1) of the Commissions rules," the FCC said.In September, SpaceX told the FCC that "this out-of-band emission restriction will be most detrimental for real-time communications such as voice and video, rendering such communications unreliable both in critical and in common circumstances, increasing risk in emergency situations."Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 1 Comments Prev story