SpaceX, T-Mobile Say SCS Plan Criticisms Unfounded

Concerns raised about SpaceX/T-Mobile joint efforts for mobile supplemental coverage from space (see 2305190057) "rely on either misinterpretations of Commission rules or fundamentally flawed technical 'studies,'" SpaceX said Wednesday in docket 23-135. T-Mobile also dismissed criticisms. Citing out-of-band emissions concerns, SpaceX said it and T-Mobile signed a spectrum manager lease arrangement and agreed to technical limits consistent with rules for PCS G Block spectrum, "even when those rules are more restrictive than comparable satellite rules that could be applied instead." T-Mobile said there's no need for demonstrations on potential interference since the consumer handsets communicating with SpaceX will be the same ones used now with its terrestrial wireless network. It said there also is no basis for requiring either company to demonstrate the potential effect of the SCS service on T-Mobile's network since the wireless carrier "has the discretion, so long as it complies with all relevant rules, to optimize its network configuration to operate in harmony with SpaceX." Both companies said criticism that they requested either too many or too few waivers from the FCC are baseless. TerreStar Solutions, which plans to begin trialing a non-terrestrial two-way messaging service and then offer SCS to Canadians, said the SpaceX/T-Mobile SCS plan raises interference risks for incumbent mobile satellite service (MSS) operators like it. TerreStar said SCS approaches like SpaceX/T-Mobile, which require frequency use waivers, could reduce the amount of spectrum available for terrestrial operations. It said the FCC should instead focus on supporting the use of existing MSS allocations by licensed MSS operators to provide SCS services.