Amazon’s Kuiper responds to Elon Musk’s SpaceX on FCC request

The satellite tv for pc web tasks of the 2 richest males on the planet proceed to spar behind the scenes with federal regulators, with Amazon on Thursday clarifying its place in response to latest accusations from Elon Musk and SpaceX that Jeff Bezos’ firm is trying to “stifle competitors” within the sector.

Representatives of Amazon spoke to Federal Communications Fee officers earlier this week, doubling down on its place that the FCC mustn’t approve SpaceX’s modification request for components of its Starlink satellite tv for pc community. Amazon and SpaceX are working to construct space-based web networks — referred to as Kuiper and Starlink, respectively — by launching hundreds of satellites into orbit, identified within the business as a constellation.

Whereas Amazon emphasised that it “helps the flexibility of operators to change their system designs,” the corporate argued that SpaceX’s proposed modifications to Starlink are too important to be thought-about as a easy modification by the FCC. Somewhat, Amazon says the FCC ought to contemplate Starlink as a “newly designed system” and embody it in a broader regulatory processing spherical that was open when SpaceX submitted the request final yr.

“Doing so could be per Fee precedent, shield the general public curiosity, encourage coordination, and promote competitors,” Amazon company counsel Mariah Dodson Shuman wrote in a letter to the FCC.

Amazon is just not alone in pushing again on Starlink’s modification request, with satellite tv for pc operators Viasat, SES and Kepler Communications additionally submitting objections.

Amazon’s concern with SpaceX’s modification focuses round problems with security and interference, with the corporate arguing that the Starlink change “would considerably enhance interference to Kuiper” and different satellite tv for pc programs, whereas additionally making Starlink “extra prone to interference from Kuiper” and others.

SpaceX Director David Goldman advised the FCC in January that Starlink’s modification would “have the ability to obtain the benefits of decrease altitudes with out inflicting a major enhance in interference.” Moreover, Goldman highlighted that Amazon representatives have had “30 conferences to oppose SpaceX” however “no conferences to authorize its personal system,” which he interpreted as an try to stifle competitors.

However, whereas SpaceX argued that Amazon and different firms “cherry choose knowledge … to succeed in deceptive claims of interference,” Kuiper’s Shuman alleged that SpaceX “omitted” comparative knowledge from its evaluation. Shuman mentioned that knowledge reveals Starlink’s modification “will increase interference into Kuiper” connectivity stations on the bottom.

Each firms’ satellite tv for pc networks signify bold tasks, with SpaceX, like Amazon, saying its community will value about $10 billion or extra to construct. SpaceX management has beforehand estimated that Starlink may usher in as a lot as $30 billion a yr, or greater than 10 occasions the annual income of its rocket enterprise.

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