The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized SpaceX to offer Starlink satellite internet to vehicles in motion, a crucial step for the company of Elon Musk to expand its service.
“Authorizing a new class of [customer] terminals for SpaceX’s satellite system will expand the range of broadband capabilities to meet the growing user demands that now require connectivity while on the move, whether driving an RV across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port or while on a domestic or international flight,” FCC International Bureau Chief Tom Sullivan wrote in the authorization posted Thursday.
Starlink is SpaceX’s network of satellites in low Earth orbit, designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere on the globe. SpaceX has launched about 2,700 satellites to support the global network, with the base price of the service costing users $110 a month, according to a report.
As of May, SpaceX told the FCC that Starlink had more than 400,000 subscribers.
SpaceX has signed early deals with commercial airlines to prepare for this decision. They have agreements with Hawaiian Airlines and semiprivate charter provider JSX to offer Wi-Fi in planes.
So far, SpaceX has been approved to conduct a small amount of testing in flight and has deemed the market for aviation Wi-Fi as “ripe for an overhaul.”
The authorization of the FCC also allows the connection to vessels and ships such as semi-trucks and RVs, with SpaceX requesting to increase its service to stationary customers.
SpaceX had already deployed a version of its service called “Starlink for RVs,” with an additional “portability” fee. But portability is not the same as mobility, which the FCC’s decision now allows.
The FCC imposed conditions on the in-motion Starlink service. SpaceX is required to “accept any interference received from current and future services authorized,” and further investment in Starlink will “assume the risk that operations may be subject to additional conditions or requirements” from the FCC.
The ruling did not resolve a broader SpaceX regulatory dispute with Dish Network and RS Access, an entity backed by billionaire Michael Dell, over the use of the 12-gigahertz band — a range of frequency used for broadband communications.
The FCC continues to analyze whether the band can support both ground-based and space-based services, with SpaceX pushing for the regulator to make a ruling.
This article originally appeared on MSN.
