The Starlink logo can be seen in the background of a silhouetted woman holding a mobile phone.
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The Federal Communications Commission has authorized SpaceX to provide Starlink satellite internet to vehicles in motion, a key step for Elon Musk’s company to continue expanding the service.
“Authorization of a new class of [customer] Terminals for SpaceX’s satellite system will expand the range of broadband capabilities to meet the growing demands of users who now require connectivity on the go, whether driving a campervan across the country, transporting a freighter from Europe to one U.S. port or during a domestic flight or international flight,” Tom Sullivan, head of the FCC international bureau, wrote in the authorization released Thursday.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the FCC’s decision.
Starlink is SpaceX’s low-Earth orbit satellite network designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere in the world. SpaceX has launched about 2,700 satellites to support the global network, with the service’s base price costing users $110 per month. In May, SpaceX told the FCC that Starlink had more than 400,000 subscribers.
SpaceX signed early deals with commercial airlines in preparation for this decision: It has pacts with Hawaiian Airlines and semi-private charter operator JSX to provide Wi-Fi on planes. So far, SpaceX has been given approval to conduct a limited number of onboard tests as the aviation Wi-Fi market is “ripe for an overhaul.”
The FCC’s approval also includes connectivity to ships and vehicles such as semi-trucks and RVs, although SpaceX had applied last year to expand service to stationary customers. SpaceX had already deployed a version of its service called “Starlink for RVs” with an additional “portability fee.” But portability is not the same as mobility, which the FCC decision now allows.
The FCC imposed conditions on Starlink service while driving. SpaceX must “accept any interference received from both current and future authorized services,” and further investment in Starlink will “assume the risk that operations may be subject to additional terms or requirements” from the FCC.
The ruling failed to resolve a broader regulatory dispute SpaceX has with Dish Network and RS Access, a company backed by billionaire Michael Dell, over its use of the 12 gigahertz band — a range of frequencies used for broadband communications. The FCC continues to analyze whether the band can support both ground-based and space-based services, with SpaceX urging the regulator to make a decision.