Tesla President and CEO Elon Musk presents the new electric ‘Semi’ truck to buyers and journalists on November 16, 2017 in Hawthorne, California, near Los Angeles.
Veronique Dupont | AFP | Getty Images
SpaceX is working on an antenna that will connect vehicles like trucks and trailers to its satellite internet network, CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet on Monday.
Musk clarified that the antenna will not be for “connecting Tesla cars to Starlink”, saying that the user’s terminal “is too big”.
“This is for aircraft, ships, large trucks and RVs,” said Musk.
Musk was responding to CNBC’s report that SpaceX requested authorization from the Federal Communications Commission to begin deploying an antenna for its Starlink service in “moving vehicles”.
Starlink is the company’s capital-intensive project to build an interconnected internet network with thousands of satellites, known in the space industry as a constellation, designed to provide high-speed internet to consumers anywhere on the planet.
SpaceX’s director of satellite policy, David Goldman, wrote in a letter to the FCC on Friday that “the volume of traffic flowing through global networks has exploded”, adding that “users are no longer willing to give up connectivity. while in transit. “
“This application would serve the public interest by authorizing a new class of land-based components for SpaceX’s satellite system that will expand the range of broadband features available for vehicles in motion in the United States and ships and aircraft worldwide” , wrote Goldman.
Musk’s space company last year asked the FCC for authorization to carry out experimental tests on private jets and its maritime fleet of ships. But Friday’s request is for a much broader “general license” for operations. SpaceX noted that the FCC rules “do not require applicants to submit a maximum number of user terminals to be deployed”, so the company has not indicated how many vehicle terminals it plans to build.