It appears that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation is not just about providing high-speed Internet service. Based on recent documents for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Starlink also plans to introduce a set of products related to its portfolio, from a dedicated phone service, emergency backup for voice calls and more accessible Internet access for low-income customers through the US government’s Lifeline program.
Details of the expansion of Starlink’s services were mentioned in SpaceX’s petition to the FCC for designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Operator (ETC). According to the company led by Elon Musk, an ETC designation is required in some U.S. states where the satellite internet program has gained government funding to provide internet access in underserved areas. He is also expected to receive a refund from the FCC Lifeline program, which offers discounts on telecommunications services to low-income customers.
The Starlink beta today offers only Internet access, but in its filing, SpaceX noted that “Starlink Services will provide voice telephony services, including: (a) voice-grade access to the public switched telephone network (‘PSTN’) or its functional equivalent; (b) minutes of use for local service provided at no additional cost to end users; (c) access to emergency services; and (d) toll limitation services for low-income consumers qualified in accordance with 47 CFR §§ 54,500, et seq. Starlink Services will offer voice services on an autonomous basis at rates that are reasonably comparable to urban rates. ”
SpaceX further mentioned that, in its base plan, “Starlink Services would provide telephony services connecting consumers to the MSP platform using its network capacity, which is available to consumers through their equipment at the customer’s premises.” Interestingly, the company led by Elon Musk added that Starlink customers would have the option of using a conventional third-party phone for their service. This can be an important selling point for the service, especially considering the robust options in the mobile market today.
Like other VoIP providers, SpaceX’s FCC files also mentioned that Starlink will sell a 24-hour backup battery to customers. Such a product would allow customers to access Starlink’s services even in the event of a power outage or other emergency situations. These redundancies would not only be applied at the user level, as backups would also be implemented at the network level, as Ars Technica.
“At the user level, Starlink Services will offer a 24 hour battery backup option for user equipment that will provide the ability to make calls in the event of a power outage. At the system level, Starlink Services is creating network redundancy. For example, each user will have several satellites in sight with which to communicate. In addition, each satellite will have several gateway sites in sight with which it can communicate. The Starlink traffic routing system ensures that each user is served with bandwidth before users who require more bandwidth receive an additional transfer rate, which gives robustness to the Starlink network in the event of emergencies requiring high throughput. transfer ”, noted SpaceX.
Starlink’s battery backup technology would likely be economical and industry-leading, considering that Tesla, an electric car and energy company also led by Elon Musk, is developing its own custom battery cells. If SpaceX ends up taking advantage of Tesla batteries like the company’s 4680 tabless custom cells, Starlink’s 24-hour backup batteries may well become one of, if not the best in the industry.
In addition to a dedicated phone service and a 24-hour backup battery, SpaceX also discussed a program that would take Starlink’s services to low-income families. SpaceX’s FCC files did not include many details about this program yet. However, considering that the Lifeline program currently offers a $ 9.25 monthly allowance for low-income families to gain access to broadband or a $ 5.25 monthly household allowance for telephone service, as well as the fact that Starlink beta currently costs $ 99 a month, there seems to be a fair chance that SpaceX will offer a low-cost version of its satellite internet service in the future.
Read the SpaceX FCC petition for an ETC designation below.
Starlink Services LLC ETC Designation Application.pdf by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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