Elon Musk’s plan to girdle Earth with satellites hits bumps
Bloomberg|
Updated: Sep 26, 2017, 11.52 PM IST
SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to surround the Earth with thousands of internet-beaming satellites is encountering turbulence from regulators concerned about interference with competing systems.
SpaceX, the rocket startup Musk runs, filed for permission for its constellation of refrigeratorsized satellites late last year. Selling broadband from orbit is a key part of how SpaceX plans to make money beyond its original rocket-launching service.
But the US Federal Communications Commission is poised to deal the project a setback with a decision that could force power reductions on SpaceX satellites, and potentially limit the spectrum they can use, making them less effective.
The regulator will in part defer to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an agency of the UN, on how these new satellite systems need to coordinate and share spectrum, according to a draft set of rules set for a vote on Tuesday. The package is likely to pass as it’s backed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who leads the agency’s Republican majority.
The FCC said it’s establishing rules in response to proposals for a new generation of communications satellites, which will be arrayed in constellations of hundreds or thousands of orbiting devices. Proposals have come from companies including closely held SpaceX and Boeing Co, which envisions a fleet of 2,956 satellites.
The ITU works on a first-come, first-served basis, so operators that already secured spectrum for their constellations have priority when satellites inevitably line up with each other in space and their beams cross, threatening to cause interference. This means SpaceX will have to coordinate with rivals such as One Web and Telesat, which are closely held.
SpaceX, the rocket startup Musk runs, filed for permission for its constellation of refrigeratorsized satellites late last year. Selling broadband from orbit is a key part of how SpaceX plans to make money beyond its original rocket-launching service.
But the US Federal Communications Commission is poised to deal the project a setback with a decision that could force power reductions on SpaceX satellites, and potentially limit the spectrum they can use, making them less effective.
The regulator will in part defer to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an agency of the UN, on how these new satellite systems need to coordinate and share spectrum, according to a draft set of rules set for a vote on Tuesday. The package is likely to pass as it’s backed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who leads the agency’s Republican majority.
The FCC said it’s establishing rules in response to proposals for a new generation of communications satellites, which will be arrayed in constellations of hundreds or thousands of orbiting devices. Proposals have come from companies including closely held SpaceX and Boeing Co, which envisions a fleet of 2,956 satellites.
The ITU works on a first-come, first-served basis, so operators that already secured spectrum for their constellations have priority when satellites inevitably line up with each other in space and their beams cross, threatening to cause interference. This means SpaceX will have to coordinate with rivals such as One Web and Telesat, which are closely held.
