Amazon isn’t the only company opposed to a SpaceX’s second-gen Starlink proposal. On Friday, Viasat, a rival satellite internet broadband provider, also filed a protest letter, urging the FCC to dismiss SpaceX’s request.
Like Amazon, Viasat claims SpaceX’s proposal for the second-generation Starlink network “runs afoul” of FCC rules for requesting clearance for two satellite configurations, instead of merely one. “The Commission can, should, and must dismiss the amended application on that basis,” Viasat wrote in the filing.
SpaceX is already beaming high-speed internet to 100,000 customers through the first-generation Starlink network. However, the company has ambitions to eventually serve millions of users through a second-gen network that’ll involve nearly 30,000 orbital satellites.
To build the network, SpaceX has requested FCC clearance to secure two orbital configurations for the satellites, although only one will be used. The second configuration is designed to essentially act as a backup. However, Amazon disagrees, and argues that requesting clearance for two orbital configurations in one filing violates FCC rules.
Viasat makes a similar argument. Viasat claims past FCC actions show the commission prohibits companies from requesting multiple satellite configurations in one application. In addition, Viasat cites an FCC rule that says applicants for one non-geostationary satellite orbit system are not permitted to file for another satellite license in the same frequency band.
“The Commission has explained that this restriction is necessary to ‘restrain speculation’ by applicants and preserve opportunities for other operators to utilize scarce orbital and spectrum resources,” Viasat said. “In this case, SpaceX’s proposal for authority to operate with two different and mutually exclusive orbital configurations would remove opportunities for other parties to utilize those scarce resources.”
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the company has argued it isn’t violating FCC rules at all. On Thursday, SpaceX sent a letter to the commission defending itself from Amazon’s most recent criticism of the proposal.
“Despite its theatrics, Amazon does not identify a single fact, figure, or scintilla of data that SpaceX omitted from its application,” the company wrote. “Nor can Amazon point to a single rule that prohibits SpaceX from providing the Commission with extra information about an alternative configuration for its system. That is because SpaceX has provided all information required under Commission rules and more information than necessary for the public and the Commission to evaluate all aspects of its application.”
In the same letter, SpaceX also urges the FCC to jumpstart the public commenting period for its proposal for the second-generation Starlink network, citing the need for more stakeholders to weigh in. “Undoubtedly, Amazon will find a litany of other issues with the application to complain about,” the company added. “Nonetheless, that is what the comment cycle is for—to give the public the opportunity to build a complete record to assist the Commission in evaluating SpaceX’s application for its next-generation system.”
