SpaceX and TeleSat Canada submit their offers in the United States to develop satellite Internet

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted Thursday to authorize Tesla Inc. (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk Space X, Telesat Canada [PSPENC.UL] and two other companies to deploy new broadband satellite services.

The FCC voted in favor of Telesat, Kepler Communications Inc. and LeoSat MA, Inc. for market access requests to provide high-speed Internet service and connectivity for sensors and other intelligence devices.

The FCC, which approved SpaceX's initial plans in March, also approved Thursday the company's request for access to additional frequencies and the use of an additional 7,500 satellites at very low altitudes.

SpaceX had previously been granted permission to deploy 4,425 satellites, but had also obtained permission Thursday to use some of these at lower altitudes.

The FCC stated that, in the order of approval of the Tesla application, the revisions would provide SpaceX with additional flexibility to provide diversified geographic coverage and the ability to support a wide range of communications services. broadband in the United States and around the world.

Satellite services face challenges, including increasing amounts of orbital debris and the expense of deploying large numbers of satellites.

At the telecom regulator's monthly meeting, FCC President Ajit Pai said satellite technology could provide high-speed Internet access to Americans living in rural or hard-to-reach areas, where fiber optics and cell towers fail. The technology could also be a critical support when hurricanes or other natural disasters disrupt communications, he said.

Musk said in a 2015 speech that SpaceX was planning to launch a satellite internet business that would help finance a future city on Mars.

SpaceX wanted to create a "global communication system" that Musk compared to "rebuilding the Internet in space". It would be faster than traditional Internet connections, said Musk in his 2015 speech.

Telesat Canada plans to use a network of 117 satellites to provide high speed US communications services.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr told the meeting that the new satellites are "smaller and cheaper to launch than traditional geostationary satellites have been rising since the 1960s."

By operating in lower orbit, they offer the possibility of faster connections.

At present, satellite services are currently used for the service of ships and planes.

The FCC has voted separately to streamline the rules governing satellite communications.