Dish Feuds With SpaceX Over Starlink Dishes Being Used on Moving Boats, Cars

pcmag.com:

SpaceX's satellite internet service is embroiled in a new regulatory spat, this time over plans to let customers use Starlink dishes on moving vehicles, including cars and boats. 

In a Tuesday letter(Opens in a new window) to the FCC, Dish Network argues SpaceX breaks the commission’s rules by allegedly tacitly encouraging Starlink customers to use their dishes on moving vehicles. 

“An increasing number of Starlink users are acting on SpaceX’s call to unauthorized activity, and are using their Starlink terminals in motion; and some of them are enthusiastically telling the world about it, further propagating the idea that nothing is wrong with this violation of Commission rules,” Dish wrote in the letter, which follows a separate complaint(Opens in a new window) sent last month.   

SpaceX is still waiting for FCC clearance that would allow consumers to operate Starlink in moving cars, boats, and planes. However, Dish Network claims SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been encouraging users to try their Starlink dishes on moving vehicles, citing his tweets.

Most notably, Musk wrote(Opens in a new window) last month: “Starlink does work on vehicles in motion, including planes, but not yet reliably,” after the company launched Starlink RV, which is officially designed only for stationary purposes. 

Dish Network alleges “these statements actively encourage and solicit Starlink customers to break these rules.” The company is also concerned any unauthorized mobile Starlink use will interfere with Dish’s own satellite TV service. 

“Starlink ESIMs (Earth stations in motion) may activate Starlink beams in areas where satellites would not otherwise have been active, threatening satellite television customers in the area,” the company added.