PC Mag by Michael Kan October 16, 2023
SpaceX accuses AT&T and the Rural Wireless Association of waging a 'desperate, 11th-hour campaign to prevent' the test, which would involve a second-generation Starlink satellite.SpaceX is hoping to kick off a satellite test for its Starlink cellular service later this year, but AT&T and a trade association are trying to block the effort.
SpaceX's main application to offer the service is still moving through the FCC regulatory process. But earlier this month, the company filed a “special temporary authority (STA)" application to launch and start testing a second-generation Starlink satellite as soon as Dec. 1.
The satellite would be equipped with “direct-to-cellular communications payloads to connect unmodified cellular phones directly to SpaceX Gen2 satellites,” the application says.
The test would involve beaming data to smartphones using T-Mobile’s “PCS G-Block” radio spectrum. "The STA would also allow SpaceX to confirm the operational status of its direct-to-cell satellites and their ability to communicate with cell phones immediately upon insertion, rather than waiting weeks while the satellites complete orbit raising to ensure proper functioning," SpaceX added.
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https://www.pcmag.com/news/att-moves-to-disrupt-test-of-spacexs-starlink-cellular-service