By Ahmad Hathout
Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) to seeking comments from the public about a request made last month by SpaceX to open up a spectrum band for use by the American company’s satellite broadband service.
The Texas-based company, which operates the Starlink satellite internet product, is asking the department to use the E-band frequencies in the 71-76 GHz download and 81-86 GHz uplink ranges for communications between its satellites and gateway earth stations located at Saint-Laurent in Quebec and Janet in Alberta. The company says these sites are “currently operational and serving users via Ka-band services as part of our satellite communications network.”
The bands SpaceX wants to now use to further serve Canadian subscribers is allocated to fixed satellite service (FSS), fixed and mobile services on a co-primary basis, with some segments allocated to mobile satellite and broadcasting, according to ISED.
Comments are due February 20.
“ISED notes that the upcoming International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radio Conference in 2027 (WRC-27) includes an agenda item to study and determine appropriate technical measures for coexistence between FSS and the terrestrial fixed service in E-band,” the department said in a call for comments on Thursday.
“ISED is monitoring developments in the band and actively participating in the work at the ITU,” it added. “Should SpaceX’s request be approved, ISED notes that such approval would be subject to any future decisions adopted in Canada following public consultation, including appropriate technical rules for coexistence between FSS and other services in the band.”
To operate its fixed satellite service (FSS), SpaceX currently uses higher frequencies in the Ku-band (10.7-12.7 GHz/14-14.5 GHz) and Ka-band (17.8-18.6 GHz/27.5-29.1 GHz, 18-8-19.3 GHz/29.5-30 GHz).
Photo via Starlink website
