The Federal Communications Commission gave the go-ahead for Starlink to be provided to vehicles in motion.
The expansion of a new class of customer terminals for the SpaceX satellite system will allow it to meet the growing user demands that now require internet while on the move, whether driving an RV across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port
CNBC asked the company if they would comment on the FCC decision.
The Starlink network is designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere in the world. The base price of the service is $110 a month, with the launch of about 2,700 satellites. Starlink had more than 400,000 subscribers according to the FCC.
The company has agreements with Hawaiian Airlines and a private charter provider to provide wi-fi on planes. The aviation wi-fi market is ripe for an upgrade, and up until now has been approved to conduct a limited amount of inflight testing by the company.
The FCC has authorization to connect to ships and vehicles like semitrucks and RVs. A version of the service called "Starlink for RV" was already deployed by the company. Mobility is allowed by the FCC because it is not the same as portable.
There were conditions imposed on Starlink. The risk that operations may be subject to additional conditions or requirements from the FCC will be assumed by further investment in Starlink.
The ruling did not resolve the dispute between the two entities over the use of the 12-gigahertz band. The FCC is analyzing whether the band can support both ground- and space-based services.
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