SpaceX clinches deal to use Tristar's spectrum for D2D

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SpaceX has bagged another swath of spectrum after the FCC approved the company's application to acquire three upstream-only AWS-3 spectrum licenses from Tristar License Group. SpaceX plans to use the spectrum to support its next-gen direct-to-device (D2D) platform.

As reported by Light Reading in August, SpaceX moved to acquire Tristar's spectrum – in the 1695MHz-1710MHz band – to fill gaps in its US coverage. Following the transaction, Tristar will become a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Starlink and an indirect subsidiary of SpaceX.

Tristar's licenses span 62 counties in eight states (Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont), covering just 4% of the US population. Each license provides 5MHz of bandwidth and is assigned for supplemental uplink use.

The licenses will give SpaceX near-nationwide coverage in the band when combined with the AWS-3 licenses it acquired from EchoStar and spectrum acquired via FCC auction. The remaining handful of AWS-3 licenses are controlled by Blue Ridge Wireless and Terrestar.

Related:SpaceX fuels mobile ambition with another helping of spectrum

While the Tristar spectrum was acquired to support SpaceX's D2D initiative, it also fits with the company's ambitions to build a hybrid satellite/terrestrial network. That network will be partly underpinned by a swath of 800MHz lowband spectrum (being acquired from Grain Management) to help the resulting service penetrate walls and buildings.

Tristar's EchoStar connection

Tristar's AWS-3 spectrum hasn't been built out, but it has links to EchoStar. Tristar originally intended to use those licenses to support EchoStar's national 5G network, but that plan fell apart after EchoStar began selling spectrum to SpaceX.

As with the SpaceX-EchoStar spectrum transactions, the FCC opted to approve a private transfer of Tristar's spectrum rather than putting it up for auction. The Commission concluded that the transaction's potential for competitive harm is "low."

"As we previously held in the SpaceX-EchoStar Order, consumers benefit from secondary-market transactions that maximize the productive use of previously fallow spectrum, especially when paired with rigorous, enforceable buildout conditions that apply prospectively," the FCC said in its October 21 order. "Based on our analysis, and the rigorous buildout conditions we impose, we find that granting this Application and certain of the accompanying waiver and extension requests serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity."

Buildout deadlines

Although the FCC is waiving Tristar's buildout conditions, SpaceX will now bear the burden of new ones, starting in late 2029.

Related:SpaceX: Grain's lowband spectrum is our ticket to becoming 'major mobile carrier'

Specifically, the FCC outlined multi-tiered performance/buildout milestones of November 30, 2029, 2031, and 2036, and a pair of spectrum efficiency requirement deadlines (November 30, 2029, and November 30, 2036). If SpaceX fails to meet all of the final buildout requirements for a specific license, the FCC could terminate the license and possibly put it up for auction.

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