FCC grants Lynk first license for commercial satellite-direct-to-phone service

FCC International Bureau officials last week granted Lynk Global an industry-first license to begin commercial offerings of satellite-direct-to-standard-phone communications—a technology that promises to address most gaps in carrier partners’ outdoor coverage footprint.

Adopted on Friday, the FCC order lets Lynk deploy 10 non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites in low-earth orbit (LEO) to support connectivity—on spectrum between 617 MHz and 960 MHz for space-to-earth transmissions and airwaves between 663 MHz and 915 MHz for earth-to-space transmissions—with earth stations outside the U.S.

Lynk and other companies with satellite-direct-to-phone aspirations have received FCC approval for experimental licenses to conduct tests to determine the viability of using LEO satellites effectively as “cell towers in space,” but Friday’s action marks the first time that the FCC has granted a commercial license for the technology.

“The FCC is the gold standard of telecommunication regulators,” Lynk COO and co-founder Margo Deckard said in a prepared statement. “They have deep technical knowledge and conducted a rigorous revies process, which validates that Lynk’s first-of-its-kind satellite-direct-to-standard-mobile-phone service is ready to be deployed globally.

“We applaud the FCC and its staff for using their smallsat rules to accelerate innovation in space. We are honored to receive the very first commercial license for the world’s first true satellite-direct-to-standard-mobile-phone service from such a credible and respected regulator.”

This FCC approval allows Lynk to operate on 10 commercial satellites, the first of which—known as Lynk 1—was launched in April. Lynk plans to launch three more satellites later this year and will begin offering commercial service with carrier partners by the end of this year, Deckard said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

Next year, Lynk plans to launch the other six satellite approved for operation under the FCC order that was issued on Friday, Deckard said. Lynk has announced that its initial service will support text messaging, while voice communications and data services will be offered when its enough of its satellite constellation is completed to provide the capacity needed for those capabilities globally.

Virginia-based Lynk’s long-term plans call for the company to support global broadband service in 2025, which will require slightly less than 1,000 LEO satellites, according to Deckard. Ultimately, Lynk plans to have 5,000 satellites in its LEO constellation.

The FCC order clears the path for Lynk to begin commercial operations. Lynk has signed contracts with 15 mobile network operators that operate in 36 countries, according to a company press release. Lynk also is conducting tests in 10 countries.

Lynk’s business model calls for it to partner with terrestrial wireless carriers, effectively serving as a last-resort roaming partner when users are outside of the terrestrial-network footprint or the terrestrial network is unavailable for some reason, such as a natural disaster.

Satellite-direct-to-standard phone service is viewed as having significant potential within the public-safety arena. First, it would allow subscribers in even the most remote areas to communicate their needs for help. Second, it could greatly expand the both the resilience and coverage footprint of LTE communications for first responders while outside.

Meanwhile, Lynk and other satellite-to-phone providers can help provide connectivity throughout the world.

“Technologies such as Lynk’s satellite-direct-to-standard-mobile-phone service are an important part of the evolving mobile ecosystem and will be essential in enabling coverage in underserved geographies,” Alex Sinclair, GSMA’s chief technology officer, said in a prepared statement. “Working in close collaboration with mobile network operators, Lynk’s satellite service will support the goal of ubiquitous connectivity for the benefit of society and business worldwide.”