Author Topic: Dish begs FCC to deactivate Starlink setups used in moving vehicles It's fight time  (Read 540 times)

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Input by Matt Wille 6/15/2022

It's fight time Dish begs FCC to deactivate Starlink setups used in moving vehicles

Dish Network has filed an official petition asking the FCC to make SpaceX deactivate Starlink setups for customers who have been using their satellite dishes on moving vehicles. Starlink recently introduced a Portability feature that allows customers to temporarily relocate their Starlink hardware to a new location, as well as a service specifically for RV drivers.

Neither official Starlink feature allows the company’s satellite dishes to be used while a car, camper, or boat is actually in motion, though. SpaceX specifically notes in its product notes that customers must stop a trip and complete setup before connecting to their Starlink service.

The executives over at Dish — a prime Starlink competitor — are online enough to know Starlink customers are using their satellite internet in moving vehicles in spite of this guidance. And, given that Starlink doesn’t have the necessary permissions from the FCC for its devices to operate while moving, Dish says SpaceX’s allowance of such activities is essentially illegal.

The rivalry wages on — Dish is essentially asking SpaceX to confirm whether or not it can tell when customers are accessing their satellites while in motion. If it can, Dish says it’s the company’s imperative to deactivate those customers’ accounts — and if it can’t, Dish says the FCC should do so.

More: https://www.inputmag.com/culture/dish-fcc-complaint-spacex-starlink-satellite-dish-moving-vehicles