SpaceX has already referred its plans to the Federal Communications Commission and hopes to obtain a broader operating license that allows the creation of mobile land stations, expanding the capabilities of Starlink's Internet service.
After opening the beta testing program for Starlink's Internet service to users in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, SpaceX has new ambitions and wants its network to gain mobility, being able to be used in large vehicles, such as trucks, as well as on boats and aircraft.
In a request submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), David Goldman, one of the heads of the company led by Elon Musk, indicates that the goal is to obtain a broader operating license that allows the creation of mobile land stations, expanding the service's capabilities from Starlink.
The official argues that the need for network coverage in remote areas is increasingly urgent. At the same time, the international demand for faster and more efficient Internet services is also increasing. In addition, users are also looking for new ways to stay connected to the Internet even when they are on the move.
In response to a publication on Twitter, Elon Musk clarified that, for now, his company's intentions are not to connect Tesla cars to the service of Starlink.
The request submitted by SpaceX to the FCC does not indicate whether the mobile land stations to be placed on vehicles, boats and aircraft may have a different design from the current antennas that connect users to the satellite constellation, described by Elon Musk as “ONVIs on a stick”.
However, the document details that the terminals may be placed, for example, on the mast of a boat, or on the top of a truck. Unlike current terminals, which can be installed by the user himself at home, mobile antennas will have to be installed by professionals.
It is true that the plan to send 42,000 satellites to the Starlink constellation is still far from complete. However, SpaceX announced in February that it had already managed to put more than 1,000 satellites into orbit and that it was expanding the beta tests of the Internet service internationally, hoping to achieve almost global coverage as early as 2021.
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