94-448: Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC , an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX , providing coverage to over 100 countries and territories. It also aims to provide global mobile broadband . Starlink has been instrumental to SpaceX's growth. SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. As of September 2024,
188-580: A natural monopoly . The FCC controlled telephone rates and imposed other restrictions under Title II to limit the profits of AT&T and ensure nondiscriminatory pricing. In the 1960s, the FCC began allowing other long-distance companies, namely MCI, to offer specialized services. In the 1970s, the FCC allowed other companies to expand offerings to the public. A lawsuit in 1982 led by the Justice Department after AT&T underpriced other companies, resulted in
282-551: A November 2024 call with President [Volodymyr Zelenskyy], Musk said he will continue supporting Ukraine through Starlink. SpaceX has asked its numerous Taiwanese suppliers to move production abroad citing geopolitical risk concerns. This move was questioned by the Taiwanese government and resulted in significant anger from the Taiwanese public with citizens pointing out that Starlink was unavailable in Taiwan despite its suppliers underlying
376-575: A closely held secret in government, given Musk's involvement in promoting the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump, and his security clearance to access classified government information. One person said no alerts were raised by the U.S. government, noting the dilemma of the government being dependent on Musk's technologies. Musk initially voiced support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's 2022 invasion by donating Starlink terminals, but made later decisions to limit Ukrainian access to Starlink, which coincided with Russian pressure in public and in private. In
470-561: A constellation of around 700 satellites called WorldVu , which would be over 10 times the size of the then largest Iridium satellite constellation . However, these discussions broke down in June 2014, and SpaceX instead filed an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) application via the Norwegian Communications Authority under the name STEAM. SpaceX confirmed the connection in the 2016 application to license Starlink with
564-578: A cost of $ 17.3 million per year in 1996 dollars. Prior to the Portals, the FCC had space in six buildings at and around 19th Street NW and M Street NW. The FCC first solicited bids for a new headquarters complex in 1989. In 1991 the GSA selected the Portals site. The FCC had wanted to move into a more expensive area along Pennsylvania Avenue . In 1934, Congress passed the Communications Act , which abolished
658-448: A move to a larger three-building facility at Redmond Ridge Corporate Center to support satellite manufacturing in addition to R&D. In July 2016, SpaceX acquired an additional 740 m (8,000 sq ft) creative space in Irvine, California (Orange County). The Irvine office would include signal processing , RFIC , and ASIC development for the satellite program. By October 2016,
752-559: A net loss, with a small profit being reported by Musk starting in 2023. Tensions between Brazil and Elon Musk's business ventures escalated in 2024 as the country's telecom regulator Anatel threatened to sanction Starlink after Brazil's top court upheld a ban on X. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supported the decision, citing X's role in allegedly spreading hate and misinformation undermining Brazil's democracy. Judge Alexandre de Moraes had frozen Starlink's accounts, and Starlink refused to comply with an order to block domestic access to X until
846-417: A one-time hardware fee of $ 599 for a user terminal and $ 120 per month for internet service at a fixed service address. An additional $ 25 per month allows the user terminal to move beyond a fixed location ( Starlink For RVs ) but with service speeds deprioritized compared to the fixed users in that area. Fixed users are told to expect typical throughput of "50 to 150 Mbit/s and latency from 20 to 40 ms",
940-553: A rocket prototype in May 2021. In 2022, SpaceX announced the Starlink Business service tier, a higher-performance version of the service. It provides a larger high-performance antenna and listed speeds of between 150 and 500 Mbit/s with a cost of $ 2500 for the antenna and a $ 500 monthly service fee. The service includes 24/7, prioritized support. Deliveries are advertised to begin in the second quarter of 2022. The FCC also approved
1034-410: A situation he found "perplexing". These efforts later were documented in a 2015 Harvard Case Study. In 2017, Christine Calvosa replaced Bray as the acting CIO of FCC. On January 4, 2023, the FCC voted unanimously to create a newly formed Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs within the agency, replacing the existing International Bureau. FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel explained that
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#17328587608981128-492: A study found users averaged download speeds of 90.55 Mbit/s in the first quarter of 2022, but dropped to 62.5 Mbit/s in the second quarter. A higher performance version of the service ( Starlink Business ) advertises speeds of 150 to 500 Mbit/s in exchange for a more costly $ 2,500 user terminal and a $ 500 monthly service fee. Another service called Starlink Maritime became available in July 2022 providing internet access on
1222-732: A very large cell coverage area, which would be limited to thousands of voice calls or millions of text messages simultaneously in a coverage area. The size of a single coverage cell has not yet been publicly released. The first six cell phone capable satellites launched on January 2, 2024. Rogers Communications , in April 2023, signed an agreement with SpaceX for using Starlink for satellite-to-phone services in Canada . Also in April 2023, One NZ (formerly Vodafone New Zealand) announced that they would be partnering with SpaceX's Starlink to provide 100% mobile network coverage over New Zealand . SMS text service
1316-509: Is expected to begin in 2024, with voice and data functionality in 2025. In July 2023, Optus in Australia announced a similar partnership. On January 8, 2024, it was confirmed by SpaceX that they had successfully tested text messaging using the new Direct-to-Cell capability on T-Mobile's network. On May 16, 2024, Musk visited Indonesia to oversee the first use of Starlink service there. He met with government ministers to discuss collaboration and
1410-408: Is expecting to be profitable in 2023. In May 2018, SpaceX estimated the total cost of designing, building and deploying the constellation would be at least US$ 10 billion. In January 2017, SpaceX expected annual revenue from Starlink to reach $ 12 billion by 2022 and exceed $ 30 billion by 2025. Starlink was at annual loss in 2021. Revenues from Starlink in 2022 were reportedly $ 1.4 billion accompanied by
1504-697: Is listed as a "chief operating officer" at SpaceX. While still on active duty, O'Shaughnessy advocated before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services for a layered capability with lethal follow-on that incorporates machine learning and artificial intelligence to gather and act upon sensor data quickly. SpaceX was not awarded a contract for the larger Tranche 1, with awards going to York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin Space, and Northrop Grumman Space Systems. Satellite internet constellation Too Many Requests If you report this error to
1598-401: Is organized into seven bureaus, each headed by a "chief" that is appointed by the chair of the commission. Bureaus process applications for licenses and other filings, analyze complaints, conduct investigations, develop and implement regulations, and participate in hearings . The FCC has twelve staff offices. The FCC's offices provide support services to the bureaus. The FCC leases space in
1692-686: The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 sponsored by then-Senator Sam Brownback , a former broadcaster himself, and endorsed by Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan who authored a similar bill in the United States House of Representatives . The new law stiffens the penalties for each violation of the Act. The Federal Communications Commission will be able to impose fines in the amount of $ 325,000 for each violation by each station that violates decency standards. The legislation raised
1786-520: The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). The report limited the amount of time during the day and at what times the networks may broadcast. Previously a network could demand any time it wanted from a Network affiliate . The second concerned artist bureaus. The networks served as both agents and employers of artists, which was a conflict of interest the report rectified. In assigning television stations to various cities after World War II ,
1880-572: The Communications Act of 1934 and amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (amendment to 47 U.S.C. §151), is to "make available so far as possible, to all the people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, rapid, efficient, nationwide, and world-wide wire and radio communication services with adequate facilities at reasonable charges." The act furthermore provides that
1974-939: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC). SpaceX trademarked the name Starlink in the United States for their satellite broadband network; the name was inspired by the 2012 novel The Fault in Our Stars . Starlink was publicly announced in January 2015 with the opening of the SpaceX satellite development facility in Redmond, Washington . During the opening, Musk stated there is still significant unmet demand worldwide for low-cost broadband capabilities. and that Starlink would target bandwidth to carry up to 50% of all backhaul communications traffic, and up to 10% of local Internet traffic, in high-density cities. Musk further stated that
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#17328587608982068-614: The Federal Radio Commission and transferred jurisdiction over radio licensing to a new Federal Communications Commission, including in it also the telecommunications jurisdiction previously handled by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Title II of the Communications Act focused on telecommunications using many concepts borrowed from railroad legislation and Title III contained provisions very similar to
2162-499: The International Telecommunication Union in the 1990s regarding the limits of non-geostationary satellites. As of September 2024, Starlink reports the number of its customers worldwide as four million. Starlink provides satellite-based internet connectivity to underserved areas of the planet, as well as competitively priced service in more urbanized areas. In the United States, Starlink charged, at launch,
2256-548: The Radio Act of 1927 . The initial organization of the FCC was effected July 17, 1934, in three divisions, Broadcasting, Telegraph, and Telephone. Each division was led by two of the seven commissioners, with the FCC chairman being a member of each division. The organizing meeting directed the divisions to meet on July 18, July 19, and July 20, respectively. In 1940, the Federal Communications Commission issued
2350-535: The Space Development Agency (SDA). SDA accelerates development of missile defense capabilities, primarily via observation platforms, using industry-procured low-cost low Earth orbit satellite platforms. In October 2020, SDA awarded SpaceX an initial $ 150 million dual-use contract to develop 4 satellites to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles. The first batch of satellites were originally scheduled to launch September 2022 to form part of
2444-488: The breakup of the Bell System from AT&T. Beginning in 1984, the FCC implemented a new goal that all long-distance companies had equal access to the local phone companies' customers. Effective January 1, 1984, the Bell System's many member-companies were variously merged into seven independent "Regional Holding Companies", also known as Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs), or "Baby Bells". This divestiture reduced
2538-450: The fixed-satellite service using the Ku- and Ka- frequency bands". In September 2017, the FCC ruled that half of the constellation must be in orbit within six years to comply with licensing terms, while the full system should be in orbit within nine years from the date of the license. SpaceX filed documents in late 2017 with the FCC to clarify their space debris mitigation plan, under which
2632-601: The "Report on Chain Broadcasting " which was led by new FCC chairman James Lawrence Fly (and Telford Taylor as general counsel). The major point in the report was the breakup of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), which ultimately led to the creation of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), but there were two other important points. One was network option time, the culprit here being
2726-506: The $ 885.5 million aid package was revoked in August 2022, with the FCC stating that Starlink "failed to demonstrate" its ability to deliver the promised service. SpaceX later appealed the decision saying they met or surpassed all RDOF deployment requirements that existed during bidding and that the FCC created "new standards that no bidder could meet today". In December 2023, the FCC formally denied SpaceX's appeal since "Starlink had not shown that it
2820-457: The 1960s All-Channel Receiver Act ), to make UHF viable against entrenched VHF stations. In markets where there were no VHF stations and UHF was the only TV service available, UHF survived. In other markets, which were too small to financially support a television station, too close to VHF outlets in nearby cities, or where UHF was forced to compete with more than one well-established VHF station, UHF had little chance for success. Denver had been
2914-603: The 50 states, the District of Columbia , and the territories of the United States . The FCC also provides varied degrees of cooperation, oversight, and leadership for similar communications bodies in other countries in North America. The FCC is funded entirely by regulatory fees. It has an estimated fiscal-2022 budget of US $ 388 million. It has 1,482 federal employees as of July 2020. The FCC's mission, specified in Section One of
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3008-434: The 525–535 km (326 to 332 mile) altitude shells, plus ~20,000 in 340–360 km (210 mile to 220 mile) shells and nearly 500 in 604–614 km (375 to 382 mile) shells. However, the FCC noted that this is not a net increase in approved on-orbit satellites for SpaceX since SpaceX is no longer planning to deploy 7518 V-band satellites at 340 km (210 mi) altitude that had previously been authorized. In March 2023,
3102-731: The Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, and made substantial modifications to Title VI in the Cable Television and Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992. Further modifications to promote cross-modal competition (telephone, video, etc.) were made in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, leading to the current regulatory structure. Broadcast television and radio stations are subject to FCC regulations including restrictions against indecency or obscenity. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held, beginning soon after
3196-522: The FCC a legal basis for imposing net neutrality rules (see below), after earlier attempts to impose such rules on an "information service" had been overturned in court. In 2005, the FCC formally established the following principles: To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice; Consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to
3290-479: The FCC found that it placed many stations too close to each other, resulting in interference. At the same time, it became clear that the designated VHF channels, 2 through 13, were inadequate for nationwide television service. As a result, the FCC stopped giving out construction permits for new licenses in October 1948, under the direction of Chairman Rosel H. Hyde . Most expected this "Freeze" to last six months, but as
3384-472: The FCC granted SpaceX approval for the initial 4,425 satellites, with some conditions. SpaceX would need to obtain a separate approval from the ITU. The FCC supported a NASA request to ask SpaceX to achieve an even higher level of de-orbiting reliability than the standard that NASA had previously used for itself: reliably de-orbiting 90% of the satellites after their missions are complete. In May 2018, SpaceX expected
3478-584: The FCC in the newly created post of associate general counsel/chief diversity officer. Numerous controversies have surrounded the city of license concept as the internet has made it possible to broadcast a single signal to every owned station in the nation at once, particularly when Clear Channel, now IHeartMedia , became the largest FM broadcasting corporation in the US after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 became law - owning over 1,200 stations at its peak. As part of its license to buy more radio stations, Clear Channel
3572-437: The FCC indicated that the public largely believed that the severe consolidation of media ownership had resulted in harm to diversity, localism, and competition in media, and was harmful to the public interest. David A. Bray joined the commission in 2013 as chief information officer and quickly announced goals of modernizing the FCC's legacy information technology (IT) systems, citing 200 different systems for only 1750 people
3666-403: The FCC said that nearly 55 million Americans did not have access to broadband capable of delivering high-quality voice, data, graphics and video offerings. On February 26, 2015, the FCC reclassified broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service, thus subjecting it to Title II regulation, although several exemptions were also created. The reclassification was done in order to give
3760-527: The FCC was created "for the purpose of the national defense" and "for the purpose of promoting safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio communications." Consistent with the objectives of the act as well as the 1999 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the FCC has identified four goals in its 2018–22 Strategic Plan. They are: Closing the Digital Divide, Promoting Innovation, Protecting Consumers & Public Safety, and Reforming
3854-554: The FCC's Processes. The FCC is directed by five commissioners appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate for five-year terms, except when filling an unexpired term. The U.S. president designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairman. No more than three commissioners may be members of the same political party . None of them may have a financial interest in any FCC-related business. Commissioners may continue serving until
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3948-510: The FCC, which regulated AT&T's long-line charges, but the commission took no action. The result was that financially marginal DuMont was spending as much in long-line charge as CBS or NBC while using only about 10 to 15 percent of the time and mileage of either larger network. The FCC's "Sixth Report & Order" ended the Freeze. It took five years for the US to grow from 108 stations to more than 550. New stations came on line slowly, only five by
4042-455: The Internet, cable services and wireless services has raised questions whether new legislative initiatives are needed as to competition in what has come to be called 'broadband' services. Congress has monitored developments but as of 2009 has not undertaken a major revision of applicable regulation. The Local Community Radio Act in the 111th Congress has gotten out of committee and will go before
4136-544: The Romanian Ministry of National Defense and National Authority for Communications Administration and Regulation (ANCOM). These tests aim at demonstrating that the Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) limit can be safely increased, thus improving the speed and coverage area of Starlink, without affecting classic, geostationary satellites. The results of these tests will be used to help change a rule set by
4230-595: The Russo-Ukrainian War , a role for which it has been contracted by the United States Department of Defense . Starshield , a military version of Starlink, is designed for government use. Astronomers raised concerns about the effect the constellation may have on ground-based astronomy, and how the satellites will contribute to an already congested orbital environment. SpaceX has attempted to mitigate astronometric interference concerns with measures to reduce
4324-613: The SES Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink service claims to combine the best features of LEO and MEO orbits to provide high-speed, secure connectivity at up to 3 Gbit/s per ship, to cruise ships anywhere in the world. In February 2024, SES announced that Virgin Voyages will be the first cruise line to deploy the service. For future service, T-Mobile US and SpaceX are partnering to add satellite cellular service capability to Starlink satellites. It will provide dead-zone cell phone coverage across
4418-619: The Sentinel Square III building in northeast Washington, D.C. Prior to moving to its new headquarters in October 2020, the FCC leased space in the Portals building in southwest Washington, D.C. Construction of the Portals building was scheduled to begin on March 1, 1996. In January 1996, the General Services Administration signed a lease with the building's owners, agreeing to let the FCC lease 450,000 sq ft (42,000 m ) of space in Portals for 20 years, at
4512-503: The Starlink research, development, manufacturing, and orbit control facilities. In May 2018, SpaceX estimated the total cost of designing, building and deploying the constellation would be at least US$ 10 billion. Revenues from Starlink in 2022 were reportedly $ 1.4 billion accompanied by a net loss, with a small profit being reported that began only in 2023. Revenue is expected to reach $ 6.6 billion in 2024. Starlink has been extensively used in
4606-527: The Tracking Layer Tranche 0 of the U.S. Space Force 's National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA), a network of satellites performing various roles including missile tracking. The launch schedule slipped multiple times but eventually launched in April 2023. In 2020, SpaceX hired retired four-star general Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy who, according to some sources, is associated with Starlink's military satellite development, and according to one source,
4700-509: The US using the existing midband PCS spectrum owned by T-Mobile. Cell coverage will begin with text messaging and expand to include voice and limited data services later, with testing to begin in 2024. T-Mobile plans to connect to Starlink satellites via existing 4G LTE mobile devices, unlike previous generations of satellite phones, which used specialized radios, modems, and antennas to connect to satellites in higher orbits. Bandwidth will be limited to 2 to 4 megabits per second total, split across
4794-484: The United States accelerated an already ongoing shift in the FCC towards a decidedly more market-oriented stance. A number of regulations felt to be outdated were removed, most controversially the Fairness Doctrine in 1987. In terms of indecency fines, there was no action taken by the FCC on the case FCC v. Pacifica until 1987, about ten years after the landmark United States Supreme Court decision that defined
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#17328587608984888-541: The United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction over the areas of broadband access , fair competition , radio frequency use, media responsibility, public safety, and homeland security . The FCC was formed by the Communications Act of 1934 to replace the radio regulation functions of the previous Federal Radio Commission . The FCC took over wire communication regulation from the Interstate Commerce Commission . The FCC's mandated jurisdiction covers
4982-559: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.151 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 392206000 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:39:21 GMT Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio , television , wire, satellite , and cable across
5076-591: The allocation of channels to the emerging UHF technology and the eagerly awaited possibilities of color television were debated, the FCC's re-allocation map of stations did not come until April 1952, with July 1, 1952, as the official beginning of licensing new stations. Other FCC actions hurt the fledgling DuMont and ABC networks. American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) forced television coaxial cable users to rent additional radio long lines , discriminating against DuMont, which had no radio network operation. DuMont and ABC protested AT&T's television policies to
5170-438: The appointment of their replacements. However, they may not serve beyond the end of the next session of Congress following term expiration. In practice, this means that commissioners may serve up to 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 years beyond the official term expiration listed above if no replacement is appointed. This would end on the date that Congress adjourns its annual session, generally no later than noon on January 3. The FCC
5264-572: The book value of AT&T by approximately 70%. The FCC initially exempted "information services" such as broadband Internet access from regulation under Title II. The FCC held that information services were distinct from telecommunications services that are subject to common carrier regulation. However, Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 required the FCC to help accelerate deployment of "advanced telecommunications capability" which included high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video, and to regularly assess its availability. In August 2015,
5358-444: The commission in 1934 comprised the following seven members: The complete list of commissioners is available on the FCC website. Frieda B. Hennock (D-NY) was the first female commissioner of the FCC in 1948. The FCC regulates broadcast stations, repeater stations as well as commercial broadcasting operators who operate and repair certain radiotelephone , radio and television stations. Broadcast licenses are to be renewed if
5452-448: The company reported that they were manufacturing six Starlink "v2 mini" satellites per day as well as thousands of users terminals. The v2 mini has Gen2 Starlink satellite features while being assembled in a smaller form factor than the larger Gen2 sats. The Gen2 satellites require the 9 meter (29.5 foot) diameter Starship in order to launch them. The Starlink business unit had a single cash-flow-positive quarter during 2022, and
5546-483: The company was to: "...implement an operations plan for the orderly de-orbit of satellites nearing the end of their useful lives (roughly five to seven years) at a rate far faster than is required under international standards. [Satellites] will de-orbit by propulsively moving to a disposal orbit from which they will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere within approximately one year after completion of their mission." In March 2018,
5640-562: The constellation consists of over 7,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that communicate with designated ground transceivers . Nearly 12,000 satellites are planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 34,400. SpaceX announced reaching more than 1 million subscribers in December 2022 and 4 million subscribers in September 2024. The SpaceX satellite development facility in Redmond, Washington , houses
5734-414: The conversion, Congress established a federally sponsored DTV Converter Box Coupon Program for two free converters per household. The FCC regulates telecommunications services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. Title II imposes common carrier regulation under which carriers offering their services to the general public must provide services to all customers and may not discriminate based on
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#17328587608985828-425: The deadline of having half the constellation "in orbit within six years of authorization... and the full system in nine years". By July of 2020, Starlink's limited beta internet service was opened to invitees from the public. Invitees had to sign non-disclosure agreements , and were only charged $ 2 per month to test out billing services. In October 2020 a wider public beta was launched, where beta testers were charged
5922-421: The end of November 1952. The Sixth Report and Order required some existing television stations to change channels, but only a few existing VHF stations were required to move to UHF, and a handful of VHF channels were deleted altogether in smaller media markets like Peoria , Fresno , Bakersfield and Fort Wayne, Indiana to create markets which were UHF "islands." The report also set aside a number of channels for
6016-486: The end of the digital television transition. After delaying the original deadlines of 2006, 2008, and eventually February 17, 2009, on concerns about elderly and rural folk, on June 12, 2009, all full-power analog terrestrial TV licenses in the U.S. were terminated as part of the DTV transition , leaving terrestrial television available only from digital channels and a few low-power LPTV stations. To help U.S. consumers through
6110-423: The fine ten times over the previous maximum of $ 32,500 per violation. The FCC has established rules limiting the national share of media ownership of broadcast radio or television stations. It has also established cross-ownership rules limiting ownership of a newspaper and broadcast station in the same market, in order to ensure a diversity of viewpoints in each market and serve the needs of each local market. In
6204-553: The first half of 2022 as more customers signed up for the service. SpaceX has said that Starlink speeds will improve as more satellites are deployed. In September 2023, satellite operator SES announced a satellite internet service for cruise lines using both the Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and SES' own O3b mPOWER satellite constellation in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). Integrated, sold and delivered by SES,
6298-598: The first post-Freeze construction permits. KFEL (now KWGN-TV )'s first regular telecast was on July 21, 1952. In 1996, Congress enacted the Telecommunications Act of 1996 , in the wake of the breakup of AT&T resulting from the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust suit against AT&T. The legislation attempted to create more competition in local telephone service by requiring Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers to provide access to their facilities for Competitive Local Exchange Carriers . This policy has thus far had limited success and much criticism. The development of
6392-541: The freeze was lifted, risking its license to operate. The Wall Street Journal reported in October 2024 that Musk had been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other high ranking Russian government officials since late 2022, discussing personal topics, business and geopolitical matters. The Journal reported that Putin had asked Musk to avoid activating his Starlink satellite system over Taiwan , to appease Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping . The communications were reported to be
6486-433: The full monthly cost and could speak freely about their experience. Starlink beta testers reported speeds over 150 Mbit/s, above the range announced for the public beta test. Pre-orders were first opened to the public in the United States and Canada in early 2021. The FCC had earlier awarded SpaceX with $ 885.5 million worth of federal subsidies to support rural broadband customers in 35 U.S. states through Starlink. but
6580-435: The house floor with bi-partisan support, and unanimous support of the FCC. By passing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress also eliminated the cap on the number of radio stations any one entity could own nationwide and also substantially loosened local radio station ownership restrictions. Substantial radio consolidation followed. Restrictions on ownership of television stations were also loosened. Public comments to
6674-446: The identity of the customer or the content of the communication. This is similar to and adapted from the regulation of transportation providers (railroad, airline, shipping, etc.) and some public utilities. Wireless carriers providing telecommunications services are also generally subject to Title II regulation except as exempted by the FCC. The FCC regulates interstate telephone services under Title II. The Telecommunications Act of 1996
6768-518: The largest U.S. city without a TV station by 1952. Senator Edwin Johnson (D-Colorado), chair of the Senate's Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee , had made it his personal mission to make Denver the first post-Freeze station. The senator had pressured the FCC, and proved ultimately successful as the first new station (a VHF station) came on-line a remarkable ten days after the commission formally announced
6862-610: The licensing of Starlink services to boats, aircraft, and moving vehicles. Starlink terminal production being delayed by the 2020–2023 global chip shortage led to only 5,000 subscribers for the last two months of 2021 but this was soon resolved. On December 1, 2022, the FCC issued an approval for SpaceX to launch the initial 7500 satellites for its second-generation (Gen2) constellation, in three low-Earth-orbit orbital shells , at 525, 530, and 535 km (326, 329 and 332 mile) altitude . Overall, SpaceX had requested approval for as many as 29,988 Gen2 satellites, with approximately 10,000 in
6956-486: The move was done to improve the FCC's "coordination across the federal government" and to "support the 21st-century satellite industry." The decision to establish the Space Bureau was reportedly done to improve the agency's capacity to regulate Satellite Internet access . The new bureau officially launched on April 11, 2023. The commissioners of the FCC are: The initial group of FCC commissioners after establishment of
7050-495: The negative effects of media concentration and consolidation on racial-ethnic diversity in staffing and programming. At these Latino town hall meetings, the issue of the FCC's lax monitoring of obscene and pornographic material in Spanish-language radio and the lack of racial and national-origin diversity among Latino staff in Spanish-language television were other major themes. President Barack Obama appointed Mark Lloyd to
7144-482: The newly emerging field of educational television , which hindered struggling ABC and DuMont 's quest for affiliates in the more desirable markets where VHF channels were reserved for non-commercial use. The Sixth Report and Order also provided for the "intermixture" of VHF and UHF channels in most markets; UHF transmitters in the 1950s were not yet powerful enough, nor receivers sensitive enough (if they included UHF tuners at all - they were not formally required until
7238-431: The open ocean, with speeds of 350 Mbit/s, requiring purchase of a maritime-grade $ 10,000 user terminal and a $ 5,000 monthly service fee. Sales are capped to a few hundred fixed users per 20 km (10 mile) "service cell area" due to limited wireless capacity. Starlink alternatively offers a Best Effort service tier allowing homes in capped areas to receive the current unused bandwidth of their cell while they are on
7332-577: The passage of the Communications Act of 1934, that the inherent scarcity of radio spectrum allows the government to impose some types of content restrictions on broadcast license holders notwithstanding the First Amendment. Cable and satellite providers are also subject to some content regulations under Title VI of the Communications Act such as the prohibition on obscenity, although the limitations are not as restrictive compared to broadcast stations. The 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan as President of
7426-578: The positive cash flow from selling satellite internet services would be necessary to fund their Mars plans . Furthermore, SpaceX has long-term plans to develop and deploy a version of the satellite communication system to serve Mars . Starting with 60 engineers, the company operated in 2,800 m (30,000 sq ft) of leased space, and by January 2017 had taken on a 2,800 m (30,000 sq ft) second facility, both in Redmond. In August 2018, SpaceX consolidated all their Seattle-area operations with
7520-426: The potential impact on Indonesia's connectivity. On May 19, Musk and Space X together with Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin ushered in Starlink for the nation's health sector, aiming to improve access in remote parts of the archipelago. SpaceX also designs, builds, and launches customized military satellites based on variants of the Starlink satellite bus , with the largest publicly known customer being
7614-466: The power of the FCC over indecent material as applied to broadcasting. After the 1990s had passed, the FCC began to increase its censorship and enforcement of indecency regulations in the early 2000s to include a response to the Janet Jackson " wardrobe malfunction " that occurred during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII . Then on June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law
7708-424: The satellite division was focusing on a significant business challenge of achieving a sufficiently low-cost design for the user equipment. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said then that the project remained in the "design phase as the company seeks to tackle issues related to user-terminal cost". In November 2016, SpaceX filed an application with the FCC for a "non- geostationary orbit ( NGSO ) satellite system in
7802-740: The satellites' brightness during operation. The satellites are equipped with Hall-effect thrusters allowing them to raise their orbit, station-keep, and de-orbit at the end of their lives. They are also designed to autonomously and smoothly avoid collisions based on uplinked tracking data. Constellations of low Earth orbit satellites were first conceptualized in the mid-1980s as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative , culminating in Brilliant Pebbles , where weapons were to be staged in low orbits to intercept ballistic missiles at short notice. The potential for low-latency communication
7896-900: The second half of 2006, groups such as the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the National Latino Media Council, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Institute for Latino Policy , the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and others held town hall meetings in California, New York and Texas on media diversity as its effects Latinos and minority communities. They documented widespread and deeply felt community concerns about
7990-598: The sky" program, opened the SpaceX Washington DC office. That June, SpaceX acquired a stake in Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) as part of a "shared strategic vision". SSTL was at that time working to extend the Internet into space. However, SpaceX's stake was eventually sold back to EADS Astrium in 2008 after the company became more focused on navigation and Earth observation. In early 2014, Elon Musk and Greg Wyler were working together planning
8084-435: The station meets the "public interest, convenience, or necessity". The FCC's enforcement powers include fines and broadcast license revocation (see FCC MB Docket 04-232). Burden of proof would be on the complainant in a petition to deny. The FCC first promulgated rules for cable television in 1965, with cable and satellite television now regulated by the FCC under Title VI of the Communications Act. Congress added Title VI in
8178-402: The technology and others calling for a boycott of Tesla products. In November 2024, SpaceX proposed a constellation of Starlink of satellites around Mars, referred to as "Marslink." The proposed system would be capable of providing more than 4Mbps of bandwidth between Earth and Mars as well as imaging services. Starting in July 2024, SpaceX began conducting tests on Starlink in cooperation with
8272-475: The total cost of development and buildout of the constellation to approach $ 10 billion (equivalent to $ 11,950,000,000 in 2023). In mid-2018, SpaceX reorganized the satellite development division in Redmond, and terminated several members of senior management. After launching two test satellites in February 2018, the first batch of 60 operational Starlink satellites were launched in May 2019. By late 2019, SpaceX
8366-599: The waiting list for more prioritized service. The price and equipment are the same as the residential service at $ 110 per month. To improve the service quality in densely populated areas, Starlink introduced a monthly 1 TB data cap for all non-business users which was enforced starting in 2023. In August 2022, SpaceX lowered monthly service costs for users in select countries. For example, users in Brazil and Chile saw monthly fee decreases of about 50%. According to internet analysis company Ookla , Starlink speeds degraded during
8460-422: Was also recognized and development offshoots in the 1990s led to numerous commercial megaconstellations using around 100 satellites such as Celestri , Teledesic , Iridium , and Globalstar . However all entities entered bankruptcy by the dot-com bubble burst, due in part to excessive launch costs at the time. In 2004, Larry Williams, SpaceX VP of Strategic Relations and former VP of Teledesic 's "Internet in
8554-441: Was forced to divest all TV stations. To facilitate the adoption of digital television, the FCC issued a second digital TV (DTV) channel to each holder of an analog TV station license. All stations were required to buy and install all new equipment ( transmitters , TV antennas, and even entirely new broadcast towers ), and operate for years on both channels. Each licensee was required to return one of their two channels following
8648-480: Was reasonably capable of fulfilling RDOF's requirements to deploy a network of the scope, scale, and size" required to win the subsidy. In March 2021, SpaceX submitted an application to the FCC for mobile variations of their terminal designed for vehicles, vessels and aircraft, and later in June the company applied to the FCC to use mobile Starlink transceivers on launch vehicles flying to Earth orbit, after having previously tested high-altitude low-velocity mobile use on
8742-463: Was the first major legislative reform since the 1934 act and took several steps to de-regulate the telephone market and promote competition in both the local and long-distance marketplace. The important relationship of the FCC and the American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) Company evolved over the decades. For many years, the FCC and state officials agreed to regulate the telephone system as
8836-440: Was transitioning their satellite efforts from research and development to manufacturing, with the planned first launch of a large group of satellites to orbit, and the clear need to achieve an average launch rate of "44 high-performance, low-cost spacecraft built and launched every month for the next 60 months" to get the 2,200 satellites launched to support their FCC spectrum allocation license assignment. SpaceX said they will meet
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