SpaceX uses dominance to push rivals to use wireless via Starlink: Report | World News
 "SpaceX, Elon Musk, falcon 9 rocket")
Over the past few years, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has sought to expand Starlink’s coverage. | Photo: Bloomberg
SpaceX has used its dominant position as the primary rocket launcher to push satellite rivals to share wireless airwaves with its Starlink broadband internet business, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
The Hawthorne, California-based company asked other firms, such as Kepler Communications and OneWeb, to share their wireless spectrum rights with SpaceX before they agree to launch their equipment, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp
Attorneys from a law firm met with the Justice Department’s antitrust division in recent months to bring attention to these arrangements on behalf of some satellite and rocket companies to discuss whether SpaceX is abusing its power, the report said.
SpaceX and OneWeb Communications did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Kepler declined comment.
Over the past few years, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has sought to expand Starlink’s coverage to reach more users worldwide.
Earlier this year, T-Mobile announced that SpaceX, which launches rockets on behalf of commercial and government clients, had launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites capable of beaming phone signals from space to smartphones.
US and Canadian regulators mediated a dispute between Kepler and SpaceX over spectrum sharing, an agreement of which could help Starlink gain broader access to the Canadian market, the WSJ report said.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Oct 09 2024 | 9:43 PM IST
