Latest News

US agency authorizes T-Mobile, SpaceX license to extend coverage to dead zones

The Federal Communications Commission said on Tuesday it has approved a. license for TMobile and Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink. unit to offer supplemental protection from space in a quote to. extend web access to remote locations.

The license marks the first time the FCC has actually authorized a. satellite operator teaming up with a wireless provider to. provide additional telecoms protection from space on. some flexible-use spectrum bands allocated to terrestrial. service. The partnership aims to extend the reach of wireless. networks to remote areas and eliminate dead zones.

T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a collaboration in 2022 and in. January the very first set of satellites supporting the partnership. was launched into low-Earth orbit with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

The FCC is actively promoting competition in the space. economy by supporting more partnerships between terrestrial. mobile carriers and satellite operators to provide on a single. network future that will put an end to mobile dead zones, stated. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

The satellites have direct-to-cell innovation to deal with. T-Mobile's network to expand coverage. T-Mobile stated this year. that over 500,000 square miles (1.3 million square km) of the. United States are unreachable by towers due to the fact that of the surface,. land-use restrictions and other elements.

In March, the FCC established a brand-new regulative structure for. additional protection from space to extend the reach of wireless. networks to remote locations while protecting high service quality. in 4G and 5G networks and preventing hazardous interference.

While this is the first partnership that has actually received agency. approval, other business have pending applications for review. before the FCC.

Last month, the FCC permitted SpaceX and T-Mobile to enable. Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell ability to provide. coverage for cellphones in areas of North Carolina hit hard by. Typhoon Helene.

(source: Reuters)