Omnispace, a would-be mega-constellation satellite operator, is alleging potentially harmful interference to its licensed frequences by SpaceX’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite signals. A May 30th letter from Omnispace to the FCC argues that SpaceX’s experimental licence “violates the terms of its authorisation by operating at an altitude inconsistent with the [FCC] filing.” The letter to the FCC […]

SpaceX has confirmed it is working with T-Mobile in the US to launch its Starlink direct-to-cell (DTC) service commercially “this autumn”. This suggests that Starlink will be available – albeit in limited applications – while its rival AST SpaceMobile will only have just started to launch its satellites into orbit. Starlink has a global broadband […]

A combination of SES and its mPOWER mid-Earth orbiting (MEO) satellites and Starlink’s fleet of low-Earth (LEO) orbiting fleet have been awarded the contract for on-board connectivity by Resorts World Cruises. The Asia-based cruise line is installing the SES and Starlink equipment on the fleet’s flagship Genting Dream vessel. There are similar future plans for […]

Elon Musk congratulated his staff and SpaceX technicians on May 20th for topping 3 million Starlink customers in 99 countries. But behind the scenes there could be serious problems ahead for Starlink, and in particular for its ‘direct-to-smartphone’ ambitions. The background focuses on recent transmissions carried out on a UK-registered satellite by SpaceX. The satellite […]

Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite system has now equipped the entire Carnival Corporation cruise fleet of more than 90 ships with its equipment. Carnival operates its ships under its own name and also AIDA Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises and Cunard. Carnival Corporation CEO Josh Weinstein said Starlink’s […]

Analysts from Quilty Space say that Starlink’s progress is exceeding expectations and will generate a $6.6 billion (€6.1bn) in revenues in 2024. “Back in 2015, when SpaceX and OneWeb announced these mega-constellations, many industry veterans scoffed,” said Chris Quilty, founder of Quilty Space. “They remembered past satellite broadband ventures failing in the 1990s.” Quilty’s failing […]

Later today [May 2nd], a SpaceX rocket will launch another 23 Starlink satellites from a Florida launch pad. It follows on from a Falcon 9 launch on April 28th which placed another batch of 23 Starlink broadband satellites into their transfer orbits. That launch took the total Starlinks launched to 6,304, of which 5,896 are […]

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is using Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit satellite technology to provide mobile backhaul for some of the country’s most remote locations to accelerate its Shared Rural Network (SRN) rollout. The operator has already deployed the Starlink mobile backhaul solution to sites in the Scottish Highlands which are  difficult (or even impossible) to […]

SpaceX says it now has 2.7 million “customers – a rise of 100,000 in just three weeks. This is a growth rate of some 4,700 new users per day. If this rate is maintained, then another 1 million users by year-end is possible if not probable. A report from analysts at investment bank Morgan Stanley […]

EchoStar’s Jupiter-3 satellite is a true giant for subsidiary HughesNet. When stowed within the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket (on July 28th 2023) it was described as being about the size of a school bus. Within hours of its launch it was successfully receiving and sending signals. However, today’s picture is not quite so rosy. Despite […]