Elon Musk’s Starlink and Dish Network are as of now butting heads at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the latter’s attempt to block a fundamental assignment that SpaceX needs to get FCC broadband funding. Dish filed a petition against Starlink in late February, and a few days prior, SpaceX gave its reaction.
The debate between the two organizations is identified with various FCC procedures, including an appeal from Starlink looking for assignment as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) under the Communications Act. This designation is needed in certain states where SpaceX won funding to send its satellite-based internet to 642,925 underserved homes and organizations in 35 states. Dish Network, as far as concerns its, has asked that the FCC deny the private space firm the required status in the 12 GHz band.
Fascinating that Dish is a satellite TV provider, which implies that it isn’t so much as a direct competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink service. Dish is building a 5G mobile broadband network that could in the end utilize spectrum from the 12 GHz band that the organization at present uses for its satellite TV services. Consequently, Dish noticed that if SpaceX additionally utilizes 12 GHz frequencies, Starlink could bring about interference.
“Dish does not object to ETC status for SpaceX based on its access to other frequency bands. But, to the extent that the requested ETC designation is based on the 12 GHz band, it should be denied or deferred, pending the resolution of the DBS interference concerns arising in that band from SpaceX’s proposed modification of its satellite system, and the sharing questions presented in the Commission’s recently initiated 12 GHz rulemaking,” Dish wrote.
SpaceX’s reaction to Dish’s request to the FCC was similarly sharp, noticing that the satellite TV supplier’s resistance is without merit. The Elon Musk-led firm noticed that Dish’s efforts would just bring about deferring the main thing most for Starlink–giving high-speed internet access to the individuals who need it the most.
“Dish’s Opposition ignores and conflicts with the Commission’s clear decision to permit applicants for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”) Phase I auction to rely on spectrum in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band (“12 GHz band”) to meet their RDOF obligations. This facially spurious filing is only the latest example of DISH’s abuse of Commission resources in its misguided effort to expropriate the 12 GHz band. The Commission should reject Dish’s Opposition as a baseless attempt to obstruct the ETC and RDOF processes, the result of which would serve only to delay what matters most—connecting unserved Americans,” SpaceX noted.
The private space enterprise additionally noticed that Dish’s arguments uncover a goal to obstruct and hamstring a competitor, particularly since the FCC had effectively decided to allow ISPs to use the 12 GHz band for subsidized broadband connections. “DISH’s argument now that its opposition to the modification somehow renders those Commission decisions meaningless is nonsensical,” SpaceX composed.