SpaceX Says 5G with 12GHz Could Be Damaging to Starlink Users — Here’s Why

SpaceX says 5G with 12GHz, which Dish Network plans to build on, is damaging to Starlink users.

The Elon Musk-led firm further notes that the said 5G frequency band could end the service of Starlink satellite internet to millions of its users.

SpaceX Says 5G with 12GHz Could Be Damaging to Starlink Users — Here’s Why
(Photo : FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Cellphone users stand beside a Verizon 5G display at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, on June 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

SpaceX Starlink vs. 5G with 12GHz

A news story by The Verge reports that SpaceX has called for a media conference to share how "detrimental" the plan of Dish to build on a new 5G frequency is to the services of Starlink satellite internet.

The recent media call of SpaceX comes as Dish plans to deploy its wireless internet into a new 5G network, which the carrier says to be beneficial for its customers.

And as such, the representatives of SpaceX went on to warn against it, saying that it would affect millions of Starlink users.

The Verge notes that SpaceX uses the same 12GHz frequency band for its satellite internet services. In fact, the satellite operations of Dish Network also rely on the same 12HGHz band.

However, SpaceX heavily relies on it as the whole constellation of Starlink satellites is built on the said frequency. It primarily enables Starlink to provide fast and reliable internet to its users even in far-flung and rural areas.

It is worth noting that SpaceX has been blurting out its concerns regarding the usage of the 12GHz band beyond its satellite internet services since January 2021.

Read Also: SpaceX Successfully Launches, Lands Its Falcon 9 Rocket for the 13th Time

SpaceX's Starlink Would Become Unusable?

The SpaceX representatives further note that once the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approves the 12GHz frequency band of 5G, which Dish plans to tap, it would generally affect the service of the satellite internet service.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
(Photo : Frederic J. Brown/ Getty Images)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during the unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y in Hawthorne, California on March 14, 2019.

The senior director of satellite policy at SpaceX, David Goldman, says that the new 5G network would make the internet services of Starlink "unusable."

The SpaceX senior director reiterated in the recent media call of SpaceX that "it would potentially end services for customers."

According to a recent report by CNN, SpaceX explicitly shared in its previous statement how damaging the new 5G network could be for its internet services.

SpaceX notes that its study has shown that it could lead to interferences roughly 77% of the time. In addition, it could also bring a total outage of the internet for about 74% of the time.

Essentially, at this rate, the services of Starlink would end up being "unusable" for most of its users in the United States.

Meanwhile, CNN reports that Dish also had concerns with the Starlink satellite service in moving vehicles, wherein it says that it could interfere with the satellite TV customers of the former.

But as we at iTechPost have previously reported, SpaceX has already gotten the approval of no less than the FCC for its service for moving vehicles.

Related Article: SpaceX Starlink's Internet Satellite Gets FCC Approval To Be Used on Vehicles in Motion

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