OneWeb Throws Its Weight Behind SpaceX in Dish Network Dispute

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OneWeb Throws Its Weight Behind SpaceX in Dish Network Dispute

SpaceX received some help from satellite internet competitor OneWeb, with the latter sending its own study to the FCC in support of SpaceX.

OneWeb is a British satellite internet company and SpaceX’s main competitor. Despite being rivals, OneWeb has sent its own study to the FCC supporting SpaceX’s claims that Dish Network’s 5G plans will harm satellite internet.

The issue stems from Dish’s plans to use 12GHz spectrum to roll out its 5G network. The spectrum is the same as that used by SpaceX and OneWeb for the downlink between their satellites and ground-based relays. SpaceX claims Dish’s 5G network will significantly interfere with that downlink, leading to outages for its customers 74% of the time.

Despite Dish claiming that SpaceX is engaging in a “misinformation campaign,” OneWeb agrees with SpaceX, according to their filing with the FCC:

As demonstrated by the record and reinforced herein, the answer to the Commission’s question is: Yes, there will be harmful interference to the satellite operators providing critical connectivity to communities across the United States. Yet, those hoping to change the rules for this critical spectrum band continue to ignore the people and communities OneWeb can and will help.

OneWeb goes on to make similar statements as SpaceX, saying that the studies that Dish was a part of fail to look at the complete picture and “blatantly ignore” other critical factors.

The OneWeb study reaches the same unavoidable conclusion as every other study that precedes it in the record: regardless of the assumptions made with respect to NGSO FSS and two-way terrestrial deployments, harmful interference from the proposed terrestrial service will not only exceed the existing interference envelope for MVDDS in the 12 GHz band, but will cause additional harmful interference.

It remains to be seen how the FCC will rule, but the evidence appears to be mounting in favor of SpaceX and OneWeb.

OneWeb Throws Its Weight Behind SpaceX in Dish Network Dispute
Matt Milano

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