The new Donald Trump administration, and a new chair at the FCC (Brendon Carr), is increasingly expected to permit operators such as Starlink and AST SpaceMobile to begin transmitting and receiving calls direct-to-devices and including consumer smartphones.

As Armand Musey (partner at consultancy Summit Ridge Group) suggested during the recent 13th Americas Spectrum Management Conference in Washington DC, this could cause problems.

Musey said: “The rollout of satellite D2D services brings up issues around appropriate power levels and next-generation feature complexity. LEO operators are pushing for higher power levels to enable advanced features for D2D (beyond basic text messaging). In comparison, GEO operators express concerns that higher LEO power levels could lead to interference.”

Musey summed up the event saying: “The Spectrum Americas 2024 Conference addressed topics including strategies for spectrum allocation, spectrum sharing frameworks, and the evolving role of mid-band frequencies and satellite networks in global communications. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, in her opening remarks for the conference, emphasized the need for cohesive spectrum policy, international cooperation, and continued improvements in spectrum-sharing frameworks. Commissioner Brendan Carr, in his closing remarks, highlighted the urgency of effective, timely US spectrum policy to maintain leadership in wireless and connectivity sectors.”

Spectrum sharing has transitioned from a theoretical concept to a widely accepted idea, accoding to his summary.

“The wireless industry is focusing on the lower 3GHz band (3.1 – 3.4 GHz) for potential sharing with federal users, and this would be beneficial for wireless carriers for continuous 3 GHz band through 3.98 GHz when combined with 3.45 GHz, CBRS, and C-band,” added Musey.

Other posts by Chris Forrester:

1. AT&T explains AST SpaceMobile strategy
2. ESA introduces Fair Return structure
3. New EU space boss explains strategy
4. Eutelsat suffers from negative bank report
5. MultiChoice, eMedia make peace
6. Eutelsat criticised over “Kremlin links”
7. Rivada Space “still working” with Terran Orbital
8. Terran Orbital hit with Class Action
9. Thales Alenia planning to stay solo

Categories: Blogs, Broadband, Inside Satellite, Mobile, Satellite

Tags: AST SpaceMobile, d2d, Donald Trump, starlink