Blue Origin’s effort to construct its personal terabit satellite tv for pc web system is dealing with some pushback from SpaceX over issues about radio interference with Starlink.
On Thursday, SpaceX despatched a letter to the Federal Communications Fee about Blue Origin’s TeraWave, a possible Starlink challenger meant to serve enterprises and governments utilizing 5,408 next-generation satellites. SpaceX isn’t asking the FCC to reject the challenge, but it surely argues that a part of the proposed operations for TeraWave might create “vital interference issues for competing satellite tv for pc programs.”
“In truth, its operations would enhance spectrum use by way of further inefficient antennas that may trigger extra interference issues for thousands and thousands of customers who depend on competing satellite tv for pc programs,” SpaceX wrote, alluding to Starlink, which has over 10 million lively prospects globally.
At subject is telemetry, monitoring, and command (TT&C), or how an organization communicates and manages a satellite tv for pc constellation utilizing radio frequencies. Blue Origin has proposed utilizing varied radio bands, together with choose Ka- and E-bands, particularly the 18.8 to 19.3GHz and 71 to 76GHz bands and 81 to 86GHz bands.
(Credit score: FCC/Blue Origin)
The issue is that Starlink makes use of the identical bands for downloads and gateway transmissions. SpaceX now factors to the chance of interference as a result of the corporate proposes utilizing two “low-gain, omnidirectional Ka- and E-band antennas” on TeraWave’s low-Earth orbiting satellites.
“Not solely would these operations commerce slim, environment friendly beams for continent-sized contours, however they might additionally require considerably extra energy and be extra inclined to climate and atmospheric attenuation,” resulting in sign scattering, SpaceX wrote.
“For instance, if Blue Origin makes use of omnidirectional antennas because it proposes, it must make use of slim bandwidth alerts with excessive energy spectral density to beat the low achieve of its TT&C antennas. It will trigger vital interference for SpaceX’s uplink and downlink transmissions within the shared bands,” the corporate added. SpaceX additionally says it isn’t satisfied Blue Origin can coordinate in good religion with different satellite tv for pc operators to stop the interference.
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(Picture illustration by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos)
To handle the issue, SpaceX says Blue Origin ought to undertake “high-gain directional E-band hyperlinks” to create slim radio beams to facilitate the TT&C operations. “Accordingly, the Fee ought to be certain that Blue Origin’s TT&C operations don’t come on the expense of people that depend on these bands for backhaul and dependable, high-capacity satellite tv for pc providers,” the corporate added.
Blue Origin didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Within the meantime, different satellite tv for pc operators have additionally been weighing in on the Terawave proposal after the FCC accepted the corporate’s utility for overview.
AST SpaceMobile, which is growing satellite-to-phone providers, has additionally flagged radio interference dangers with its personal constellation. The corporate is asking the FCC to require Blue Origin to submit technical demonstrations and to coordinate with AST to stop potential interference. In the meantime, Viasat submitted a petition for the FCC to disclaim Blue Origin’s proposal for the TT&C operation for TeraWave, arguing it “would foreclose extra environment friendly spectrum makes use of, and would pose unacceptable interference dangers to different operators.”
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About Our Professional
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Expertise
I have been a journalist for over 15 years. I acquired my begin as a faculties and cities reporter in Kansas Metropolis and joined PCMag in 2017, the place I cowl satellite tv for pc web providers, cybersecurity, PC {hardware}, and extra. I am presently primarily based in San Francisco, however beforehand spent over 5 years in China, protecting the nation’s expertise sector.
Since 2020, I’ve coated the launch and explosive progress of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite tv for pc web service, writing 600+ tales on availability and have launches, but additionally the regulatory battles over the enlargement of satellite tv for pc constellations, fights with rival suppliers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the trouble to broaden into satellite-based cellular service. I’ve combed by way of FCC filings for the newest information and pushed to distant corners of California to check Starlink’s mobile service.
I additionally cowl cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC compelled Avast to pay customers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and promoting their private info to third-party purchasers, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I additionally cowl the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in entrance of a Greatest Purchase to get an RTX 3000. I am now following how the AI-driven reminiscence scarcity is impacting your complete shopper electronics market. I am all the time wanting to study extra, so please bounce within the feedback with suggestions and ship me suggestions.
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