Home » News » RV and home services are grouped in Starlink filings; SpaceX holds the FCC system accountable.

RV and home services are grouped in Starlink filings; SpaceX holds the FCC system accountable.

(Image Credit Google)
Image Credit: Kashifinsight Starlink's service availability is significantly lower than what Space X claims on the national broadband map of the Federal Communications Commission. SpaceX made a public announcement about the shortfall in their service availability. According to SpaceX's FCC filings, fixed broadband is available almost everywhere in the US, even though the service map on the Starlink website shows waitlists for the company's services in large parts of the nation. As per the previous report, after residents complained that they couldn't order Starlink at addresses listed as served on the FCC map, SpaceX removed some residences from the database. In a last week FCC filing, SpaceX tried to dispel the ambiguity. SpaceX claims it adhered to FCC regulations when submitting data and places the blame on the FCC system for not enabling it to report data more precisely. SpaceX claims that it is legal to report an address as "served" in accordance with the map system regulations even if the resident can only use Starlink's RV service.

"Always de-prioritized" is the way to describe Starlink for RVs.

Its service is rated as "best effort," and Starlink for RVs is designed for travel rather than use while moving. "Compared to other Starlink services, network resources are always de-prioritized for Starlink users who use RVs, which causes a degradation in service and slower speeds in crowded areas, and during peak times, the service's stated speeds and continuous use are not guaranteed according to a Starlink support FAQ. Starlink Dish Image Credit: Theverge Correcting inaccurate availability data is crucial because the FCC map will be used to determine which regions of the US are eligible for $42.45 billion in federal grants to increase broadband availability. However, the grant process should not be impacted by Starlink's submissions. "Locations served exclusively by satellite will be regarded as "unserved," according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is awarding the grants. This applies to both geostationary satellites and the non-geostationary satellites used by SpaceX,” according to a footnote citing an FCC document. Even so, Starlink's assertion that its RV plan with de-prioritized service offers "fixed broadband" at specific addresses renders the FCC map less useful as a resource for the public. In a filing to the FCC last week, SpaceX claimed that the “RV plan provides high-speed Internet at any fixed location, including a residence. Additionally, it is immediately orderable across the country at www.starlink.com/rv, giving those who require broadband connectivity a choice in areas where the Residential and Business plans are currently unavailable.” If the FCC lifts restrictions, SpaceX will update its data. According to SpaceX, its "methodology fully complies with the rules of the Broadband Data Collection and National Broadband Map" and its "RV plan is a fixed broadband Internet access service" by the FCC's definition. The default RV plan can be moved from one fixed location to another, but it cannot be used while moving. The same satellite-based infrastructure and end-user hardware are used by subscribers of the RV plan and Residential plan, respectively, to access the internet. Branding, which is not considered by the program's rules, and advertised speed are the only significant differences between the Residential and RV plans, and both are reflected in the information provided by SpaceX. According to FCC regulations, fixed broadband providers must only report areas where they have "actually built out their broadband network infrastructure" and where service can be deployed in less than 10 business days, "without any costs or delays attributable to the provider's extension of the network." starlink-header Image Credit: Mobilesyrup.com In new data, Starlink decreased reported speeds. The FCC declined to directly address SpaceX's complaint regarding the map system limitations when contacted by ArsTechnica. To the best of our knowledge, the broadband data collection portal is operational and trouble-free, but if filers experience issues, we work with them to find solutions, according to an FCC spokesperson. The filing from SpaceX included updated availability data as of December 31, 2022. Prior data for June 30, 2022, was provided by SpaceX and other ISPs. The speeds reported to the FCC between June and December decreased because of SpaceX's recent decision to increase user fees in "limited capacity" areas. According to the company's most recent FCC filings, residential and business customers will now receive 220Mbps downloads and 25Mbps uploads, down from 350Mbps downloads and 40Mbps uploads previously reported by SpaceX. While upload speeds remained at 10Mbps, Starlink's reported download speeds for RV service were reduced from 100Mbps to 50Mbps.

By Jozeph P

Journalism explorer, tech Enthusiast. Love to read and write.

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