FCC Not Expected to Move Soon on Satellite-Delivered Mobility

The latest such satellite/mobile coverage partnership, announced Wednesday, has Globalstar providing satellite-enabled messaging with emergency services for Apple's iPhone 14 when outside Wi-Fi or cellular coverage (see 2209070070). Globalstar said the partnership has it allocating 85% of its current and future network capacity for the iPhone services, starting in Q4. The company told us it already has the FCC authorizations it needs.

The Globalstar-enabled iPhone emergency service messaging "is a testament to the importance of satellite connectivity on your phone," AST CEO Abel Avellan tweeted. "Just imagine using SpaceMobile's planned space-based cellular broadband network with any device at 4G/5G speed anywhere.."

Given the variations among the different satellite-delivered mobile service proposals, the FCC is likely to take an ad hoc approach to each, at least for now, said 650 Group technology analyst Chris DePuy. He said the agency's rejection of SpaceX's Starlink application for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund participation (see 2208100050) seems to point toward the agency being bearish on SpaceX's prospects and thus unlikely to invest the time and resources soon on a regulatory proceeding that would encompass SpaceX and T-Mobile. The FCC has fielded a small number of applications, with AST and Lynk and a few operators, that "is digestible" by the commission on an ad hoc basis, DePuy said. SpaceX and T-Mobile will partner on the use of Starlink satellites and T-Mobile mid-band spectrum to provide coverage in areas lacking it (see 2208260038).

Starlink probably would have preferred to have access to contiguous spectrum across the U.S. without having to go through a carrier, and might petition for such access for mobile terrestrial service, DePuy said. SpaceX didn't comment.

"This is all just too amorphous at the moment," said Harold Feld, Public Knowledge senior vice president. He said the FCC isn't likely to move on a proceeding until there's more confidence that the proposals are technically feasible and/or business models are viable and that satellite use of terrestrial mobile spectrum is a widespread phenomenon rather than a couple companies needing a couple of approvals.

The issue was easier for the FCC to shoulder when it was just AST and Lynk -- "companies no one cared very much about" -- but SpaceX is more high profile and it now might be advisable for the FCC to do a proceeding, said spectrum and satellite consultant Tim Farrar. He said SpaceX will need time to adjust its application, and the trial being talked about for late 2023 opens up space for the agency to do a proceeding.

A proceeding would possibly help SpaceX and T-Mobile since it would come as AST is trying to raise funding, Farrar said. He said a challenge for the FCC would be the complexity of rules on satellite use of terrestrial spectrum, but less-sophisticated regulators around the globe might welcome guideposts being set by the commission for the emerging technology.

One issue that would likely come up in any such proceeding would be power limits for satellite spectrum that aren't on terrestrial spectrum, and whether there needs to be more uniform application of such limits, Farrar said. With more proposals of converged terrestrial mobile and satellite networks sure to come, "there is going to be this bigger question of how do we equitably use all these different bands," he said.

The U.S. needs to create a standardized process and rules for satellite participation in mobile service, even via an ad hoc process, 650 Group's DePuy said. Unlike 5G, 6G will prominently feature space-based communications and the U.S. has an opportunity to get ahead of competitor nations now and move on 6G quickly, defining it the way the U.S. wants, he said.