The FCC has approved SpaceX's satellite internet service for use on ships, cars, and planes. Surf while driving: The US regulator Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows the use of Starlink in various vehicles that are in motion. For US aerospace company SpaceX, this is an important step in further expanding its satellite internet service.
The decision means that Starlink can be used in future cars and trucks, on ships and boats, and in airplanes. "Approving a new class of terminals for the SpaceX satellite system will broaden the spectrum of broadband deployments to meet the growing demands of users requiring on-the-go connectivity," the FCC said in a letter. This applies to tours across the country in a mobile home, crossing the Atlantic in a freighter, or domestic and international flights.
SpaceX recently introduced the portability option. It allows Starlink private customers to use the service on the go for a surcharge. The satellite Internet can then no longer only be used at the registered address, but also elsewhere, for example, on vacation. However, this has so far only been applied to stationary use.
Satellite Internet comes on the plane
According to the FCC decision, airlines will also be able to offer their passengers the Starlink service on board. SpaceX said last year it was working on such an offer.
This spring it became known that the US airline Delta was conducting tests with Starlink. JSX is already a SpaceX customer: customers of the US airline should be able to use the satellite Internet later this year.
Starlink is a satellite constellation that aims to make high-speed internet available anywhere on earth. The constellation currently consists of around 2,500 satellites. In the full expansion stage, there should be 12,000 satellites.
However, the service is currently not available everywhere in the world. This applies, for example, to large parts of Scandinavia, the north of Scotland, or the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries.
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