Our top story takes us this week to Washington, D.C. where the Federal Communications Commission has received a request from the 5G broadband service provider AST SpaceMobile to modify its license so that it can transmit on the portion of the 70cm band used by amateur radio. The Texas-based company is seeking the frequencies between 430 and 440 MHz for telemetry, tracking, and telecommand between ground stations and its satellites. At the same time, the company is seeking FCC approval for its operation of 248 low-earth orbit, non-geostationary satellites. It is presently licensed for five.
The company's request to use the 70cm band is not insignificant: In 2023, the German regulator, BNetzA [pronounced: BEE NETS EH] ordered AST SpaceMobile to shut its operations when in range of the country, citing harmful interference that violated ITU regulations. In March of 2024, the company said it had "updated" its constellation's filings with the ITU and the FCC. It also reduced some of its power levels and changed the heights of its orbits, according to the Advanced Television website.
AST SpaceMobile is a rival of SpaceX, which operates the StarLink satellite constellation, which is testing direct-to-cell with T-Mobile.
Earlier this year AT&T and AST SpaceMobile received FCC permission to test direct-to-cellular satellite connectivity.
Public comments are due by July 21st.
For a link to the filing, see the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org