Space News by Jason Rainbow — October 5, 2022
TAMPA, Fla. — Plans to use a part of Ku-band for 5G networks in the United States could disrupt Starlink broadband services even more than SpaceX previously estimated, the company said Oct. 4 as it released interference analysis from a third party.
SpaceX said the analysis validates its in-house study in June, when it warned Starlink would be unusable for most Americans if a 5G high-power mobile service is allowed to operate with 12 GHz band frequencies across the United States.
The analysis from engineering consulting firm Savid also shows “SpaceX may have underestimated the likelihood of interference and potential harm to Starlink services,” SpaceX senior director of satellite policy David Goldman wrote to the Federal Communications Commission.
Starlink uses 12 GHz spectrum to connect its satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) to user terminals.
Satellite broadcaster Dish Network uses frequencies in the band to provide linear TV programming, and is seeking permission from the FCC to upgrade its license to provide terrestrial 5G services.
According to Dish and RS Access, a spectrum holding company that also seeks to adjust a license it has in the band to run a terrestrial network, their plans can coexist with other users of the band.
RS Access, backed by billionaire Michael Dell, has commissioned studies from engineering firm RKF Engineering Solutions to show how such a network would impact fewer than 1% of terminals connecting to satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO).
Dish and RS Access point to mitigation techniques they say are readily available for affected terminals, although it is unclear how quickly they could deploy their proposed networks following FCC approval.
More:
https://spacenews.com/spacex-says-5g-plan-could-disrupt-starlink-more-than-previously-thought/
