US agency approves T-Mobile and SpaceX license to extend coverage into dead zones

WASHINGTON: The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it has approved a license for T-Mobile and Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink unit to provide additional coverage from space in a bid to expand internet access to remote areas.

The license marks the first time the FCC has allowed a satellite operator to partner with a wireless carrier to provide additional telecommunications coverage from space in certain flexible-use spectrum bands allocated to terrestrial service. The partnership aims to extend the reach of wireless networks to remote areas and eliminate “dead zones”.

T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a partnership in 2022, and in January the first set of satellites supporting the partnership were launched into low Earth orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

“The FCC is actively promoting competition in the space economy by supporting more partnerships between terrestrial mobile carriers and satellite operators to deliver a single network future that will end mobile dead zones,” said FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The satellites feature direct-to-cell technology that will work with the T-Mobile network to extend coverage. T-Mobile said this year that more than 500,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers) of the United States cannot be reached by towers due to terrain, land use restrictions and other factors.

In March, the FCC created a new regulatory framework that provides additional coverage from space to extend the reach of wireless networks to remote areas by maintaining high quality of service and preventing harmful interference in 4G and 5G networks.

Although this is the first partnership to receive agency approval, other companies have applications pending for review before the FCC.

Last month, the FCC allowed SpaceX and T-Mobile to activate Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell connectivity to provide coverage for cellphones in areas of North Carolina hard hit by Hurricane Helene.