Boeing Joins Race To Launch Satellite Internet Broadband Following FCC Approval
Image via Boeing Satellites
SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper are set to face more competition in the satellite broadband arena, as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Boeing’s application to operate its own fleet in space.
Now, having been granted the go-ahead, Boeing will be able to launch its proposed 147 satellites, with 132 being low-Earth satellites, and the remaining 15 following the rotation of the Earth at a higher altitude.
This will allow the company to start providing internet services to homes across the globe, much like what Starlink has built for over 100,000 subscribers.
According to Gizmodo, Boeing is eyeing the US, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands as its initial targets before expanding worldwide.
In keeping with a strict timeline, the firm will be tasked with launching half its satellites in six years, with an expected nine years to complete the system. While it had asked for an extension to 12 years, the appeal was denied by the FCC.
It’s likely that Starlink won’t be too happy with the news. As per Reuters, back in 2019, Elon Musk’s company petitioned the FCC to reject Boeing’s request, saying its system would pose a “clear danger of harmful interference” to others. It then asked the commission to “at a minimum impose appropriate conditions to ensure that Boeing’s operations do not harm those of other” operators.
Boeing’s network is expected to run in the V-band, which boasts quicker data transfer rates when compared to Starlink. However, the latter makes use of the Ka- and Ku- bands, which, despite being a little slower, allow it to be tapped into for inflight internet on commercial flights.
It’s probably too early to say which operator will come out tops, but with SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper pledging to invest US$10 billion in their systems, Boeing will have no shortage of formidable opponents in the industry.
[via Reuters and Gizmodo, cover image Boeing Satellites]
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