The US regulator is also allowing SpaceX to orbit some of the company’s Starlink satellites closer to Earth, which should reduce latency.
SpaceX has received approval from the US Federal Communications Commission to start commercial operations of the company’s cellular Starlink service for phones.
On Tuesday, the FCC granted SpaceX authority to operate the satellite-based cellular connectivity within and outside the US through the company’s second-generation Starlink network.
“The Commission recognized that satellite-to-device connectivity can support critical public interest benefits, including ubiquitous connectivity, access to 911 service from remote areas, technological advancement, and innovative spectrum use,” the FCC wrote in the order.
In addition, the Commission has cleared SpaceX to orbit some second-generation satellites about 200 kilometers closer to Earth, which promises to reduce Starlink’s latency. Back in 2022, the company received FCC authority to operate a total of 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, but in orbits at over 500 kilometers away from the planet.
The news represents an important win for SpaceX, which has launched over 320 cellular Starlink satellites to seemingly complete the first stage of the “direct to cell” network.
