US 5G Coalition Hits Out at SpaceX 12GHz Claims

The 5G for 12GHz Coalition returned fire on a SpaceX contention Dish Network’s use of the frequency would hinder its Starlink satellite broadband service, accusing the business of failing to provide technical proof of its claims.

In a statement, the coalition claimed its research had found little risk of harmful interference to SpaceX’s fleet of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites in the vast majority of cases, adding the company had drawn spurious conclusions based on limited testing.

Dish Network is a member of the 5G for 12GHz Coalition, alongside companies including Dell: a representative for the cable operator’s mobile subsidiary told Mobile World Live the group’s view reflected its own.

The coalition stated testing conducted in the 18 months since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began investigating the use of the 12GHz band had found coexistence was feasible, with 99.85 per cent of non-geostationary (NGSO) satellite terminals “experiencing no risk of harmful interference alongside 5G”.

It noted SpaceX had failed to submit any expert technical details during the FCC proceeding, arguing the satellite operator had instead “submitted a self-produced political document in the guise of” proper analysis.