Space
SpaceX Gets Conditional Approval for Starlink Cell Coverage
- Musk’s firm competing in market for space-based services
- Satellite-to-cell capabilities not widely deployed yet
A homeowner installs a Starlink system in Galisteo, New Mexico, US.
Photographer: Cate Dingley/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
US regulators have green-lit some of SpaceX’s plans to supplement T-Mobile US Inc.’s cellular network using its Starlink satellites, expanding the Elon Musk-led company’s communications capabilities in a bid to reach more customers.
In a Tuesday filing, the Federal Communications Commission granted SpaceX approval to provide some coverage to consumer mobile phones. The direct-to-cell capabilities that SpaceX is deploying splice satellite service into the more traditional over-the-airwaves mobile networks.