AST SpaceMobile and its giant satellites are facing opposition from a surprising group: Amateur “ham” radio operators.
The community is protesting AST SpaceMobile’s request to use the 430 to 440MHz band, which includes spectrum already allocated for ham radio operations, including emergency communications.
An amateur radio operator in Germany named Mario Lorenz is asking the US Federal Communication Commission to deny AST’s proposal to use the spectrum outside the US. “AST seeks worldwide access to a significant portion of this spectrum in a way which would almost guarantee significant international harmful interference,” Lorenz says.
Texas-based AST wants to use the spectrum outside the US to track and control its proposed fleet of 248 satellites, which promise to deliver internet connectivity to everyday smartphones in cellular dead zones. However, Lorenz claims AST’s application is “vague” and lacks details about how it’ll harness the spectrum and avoid interference with ham radio operators.
(Credit: Nickbeer via Getty Images)
Thus, in a worst-case scenario, the proposal is an “unprecedented grab of spectrum, and in violation of applicable Radio Regulations,” Lorenz told the FCC.
“Unlike Amateur Radio stations in the US, who have a much larger 70cm allocation (420 MHz …450 MHz) and other bands (220 MHz) not available to Amateur Radio stations in Region 1 (Europe), amateur radio activity is much more concentrated,” he added. “The 70cm band is heavily used. It is one of the few bands available to Novice class operators in Germany.”
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Since then, other ham radio users have been rallying the community and sending complaints to the FCC, warning about the risk of interference. “Amateur radio has a proven track record of saving lives in wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other disasters,” said another user. “It is widely used for public-service events, community coordination, search-and-rescue, and auxiliary communications for local agencies when all else fails.”
(Credit: AST SpaceMobile)
The complaints arrive as the FCC has kicked off a process to review and possibly greenlight AST’s proposal to power a commercial satellite-to-phone service through the company’s emerging satellite constellation. AST currently has five BlueBird satellites in orbit, but plans to launch dozens of larger second-generation satellites in the coming months and years to compete with SpaceX’s cellular Starlink service.
AST didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the turf battle highlights how next-generation satellite constellations can rankle existing services by harnessing radio spectrum already in use. SpaceX, for example, has been waging a regulatory battle to use the radio spectrum that Globalstar and EchoStar currently rely on in an effort to bolster the cellular Starlink service for T-Mobile.
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AST’s application to the FCC shows it plans on using different radio frequencies to track and control the satellites in the US. The company also notes the FCC cleared it to use the 430 to 440MHz radio bands for its first five BlueBird satellites.
(Credit: AST SpaceMobile/FCC)
But in his letter to the FCC, Lorenz argued: “With a planned total of 248 satellites in orbit, almost certainly there would always be one or more satellites in view, causing significantly more interference potential.
“At the very least, the FCC should require from AST a clear showing and commitment to protect the Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio Satellite services,” he added.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
