The Elon Musk-owned satellite firm filed for regulatory approval back in September 2022 and expected it to go live in 2023 but faced a lengthy task to get over the line.
SpaceX was approved to use cellular frequencies from T-Mobile via its existing Gen2 Starlink constellation, with the 7,500 satellites okayed to operate at orbital altitudes of 340-360 km using Ku-, Ka-, E-, and V-band frequencies.
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The FCC’s approval is, however, conditional, with SpaceX unable to deploy satellites at altitudes below 400 km after completing physical coordination under a Space Act Agreement with NASA.
Stalink operations in some frequency sub-bands for mobile satellite services (MSS) were approved for outside the US but are subject to conditions.
It wasn’t all good news for Musk’s satellite firm, however, after the FCC opted to defer SpaceX’s request for an additional 22,488 satellites beyond the authorised 7,500.
A request to deploy additional Starlink satellites at 340-360 km altitudes was also deferred.
Multiple satellite operators, including EchoStar, Omnispace, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, had opposed SpaceX’s request to provide SCS services or operate at lower altitudes over interference concerns.
Rival satellite operators previously expressed opposition to SpaceX’s attempts to operate at lower altitudes over concerns over possible interference.
“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,” the FCC’s authorisation order read.
Days before the FCC approval, Musk said on X (Twitter): “Starlink’s new system enables Internet connectivity for your mobile phone with no extra equipment or special app.”
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The FCC previously granted temporary approval to SpaceX and T-Mobile to use Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite capabilities to restore mobile connectivity to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
