Broadband service to planes, and cars could be provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX, says the FCC

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has granted permission to Elon Musk's SpaceX so can offer its Starlink broadband-from-space service to users aboard vehicles, ships, and aircraft. An order by the Federal Communications Commission published Thursday said the agency had also decided to grant permission for the service to be offered to Kepler Communications Inc. mobile customers as well. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the formal name of Musk's private company, has launched about 2,500 first-generation satellites on behalf of its Starlink fleet and provides voice and video communications services to almost 500,000 subscribers across the globe.

Using small dishes that can be mounted on your home or business, Starlink customers receive their signals from space. This service is designed to serve rural and remote areas. There were no major changes to SpaceX's mobile gear, although it will include additional sensors and mountings to allow it to be used with trucks, recreational vehicles, boats, and airplanes. In response to the FCC's request, Viasat Inc., Dish Network Corp., and Michael Dell's RS Access LLC have filed requests to prevent or delay SpaceX's new Starlink satellite service. Viasat has objected to SpaceX's Starlink service, saying it could raise the risk of in-space collisions, while Dish and RS Access have been locked in a dispute over the use of airwaves by SpaceX.