WASHINGTON, (Diya TV) — AT&T and Verizon filed formal objections with the FCC against its consideration of a waiver request from SpaceX to deploy satellite-based supplemental cellular capacity in partnership with T-Mobile known as Supplemental Coverage from Space. The companies argued in multiple-page objection letters that such a system would interfere with and degrade the performance of mobile broadband networks on Earth.
With the Starlink division, SpaceX aims to partner with T-Mobile for expanding the coverage of its cellular service via the satellite network. For this purpose, the company is seeking a waiver from the FCC on the out-of-band emission limits-the policies against interference in mobile networks. However, AT&T and Verizon argue that the proposed changes by SpaceX would damage existing services.
The company stated in its filing that to safeguard the mobile broadband networks from the interference likely to be caused by the SpaceX-proposed ninefold increase in the power flux-density limit, it favored retaining the existing FCC limits on out-of-band emissions. According to the technical analysis of AT&T, such a change would reduce average downlink speeds in the company’s mobile network by 18% and especially those covered by the PCS C Block spectrum.
The FCC’s latest SCS order correctly determined that deployments of SCS should pose no risk to these critical terrestrial mobile broadband networks, AT&T said in its filing. The commission authorized SCS as a secondary service to terrestrial mobile service, correctly explaining that the framework of SCS must maintain quality of service of terrestrial networks and minimize the risk of harmful interference.
Verizon voiced similar concerns to AT&T, alleging that the plan by SpaceX would degrade wireless phone performance. In its filing, Verizon brought forward possible interference issues and argued that the proposed plan would pose harmful disruptions to terrestrial devices, especially for user equipment that may not meet the flagship performance standards that the SpaceX is using for its calculations.
“SpaceX’s proposed margin fails to adequately protect terrestrial user equipment from potential interference from SCS satellite systems,” Verizon said, warning that the proposal could disrupt mobile phone networks operating on adjacent bands.
The concerns, SpaceX pushed back against them, saying that the waiver the company is requesting would not interfere with other wireless services. Representatives for the company and of T-Mobile met on August 8 with FCC staffers to argue against the concerns raised by competitors. After the meeting, in a post-meeting filing, SpaceX responded to competitors, stating that they had levied “misleading claims” and “shapeshifting arguments” to try and impede the company.
“Each time that SpaceX demonstrated that it would not cause harmful interference to other operators—often based on those parties’ own claimed assumptions—those competitors have moved the goalposts,” SpaceX said in its filing. The company also complained that the current emissions limit set by the FCC was too onerous and needed reconsideration.
T-Mobile, on its part, is still optimistic that the cooperation with the latter will not affect the interference of adjacent-band operations, which includes their network. “T-Mobile has both the strong incentive and the obligation to ensure that out-of-band emissions do not cause harmful interference,” the firm said in its letters to the FCC.
Interesting enough, both AT&T and Verizon have plans to offer satellite-based cellular coverage. The two firms are working with AST SpaceMobile, which will provide comparable services with SpaceX and T-Mobile’s proposition. AT&T even went ahead and launched ads that claimed it had started offering satellite coverage; however the said service was still unavailable. Company eventually agreed to change the ads after T-Mobile complained.
Another thing that the FCC has also done is to maintain a timeline for the filing of comments on SpaceX’s waiver request. The SpaceX and other respondents have until August 22 while the final deadline is on August 29, by which date reply comments are to be filed. This is indeed a very determining phase in which, due to higher competition in the market of space-to-cellular, a final decision on the waiver granted by the FCC will give shape to satellite-based mobile services in the U.S. in the long run.
According to SpaceX, tremendous development has already been achieved with its satellite-cellular network since over 100 satellites, equipped with direct-to-cellular capabilities, have already been launched into orbit. Now, it is both SpaceX and T-Mobile testing the system while showing off what they claim are the “robust capabilities” of the service.
And if that commercial launch happens soon, it might be the most crucial part of the FCC’s decision regarding SpaceX’s waiver request for the company’s future plans to use its Starlink satellite network to extend its cellular coverage.
