"Earth Stations in Motion" Application Filed by SpaceX
SpaceX has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for "Earth Stations in Motion" that would authorize the use of its Starlink satellite Internet service in cars, private boats, ships, trucks and aircraft.
According to the application, SpaceX Services seeks a blanket license authorizing operation of such end-user earth stations for deployment as Vehicle-Mounted Earth Stations (“VMESs”), Earth Stations on Vessels (“ESVs”), and Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft (“ESAAs”) (collectively, Earth Stations in Motion (“ESIMs”)).
SpaceX Services seeks authority to deploy and operate these earth stations:
As VMES throughout the United States and its territories
As ESVs in the territorial waters of the United States and throughout international waters worldwide
As ESAAs on U.S.-registered aircraft operating worldwide and non-U.S.-registered aircraft operating in U.S. airspace. Consistent with SpaceX’s space station authorization, these ESIMs will transmit in the 14.0-14.5 GHz band and receive in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band.
The Commission’s rules specifically contemplate blanket licensing for ESIMs operating in these frequency bands.
In the application, SpaceX says the Earth stations in motion would be electrically identical to the user terminals currently authorized and being Beta tested by users mostly in rural areas of the US. SpaceX Service’s ESIMs will communicate only with those SpaceX satellites that are visible on the horizon above a minimum elevation angle of 25 degrees and track satellites passing within its field of view. The terminal steers the transmitting beams and changes power to maintain a constant level at the receiving antenna of the target satellite.
SpaceX says in the application that people are interacting with broadband platforms "in an increasing variety of ways" and users are no longer "willing to forego connectivity while on the move, whether driving a truck across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while on a domestic or international flight.
It could be a while before the ESIMs will be available for your car. Elon Musk said in a tweet that the service is intended for "aircraft, ships, large trucks and RVs", and they won't be standard equipment in Teslas at least in the near term. The terminal is currently "much too big," Musk said.
(Source: FCC filing)