Dish says SpaceX ‘manipulated’ tests and lied to customers about 5G interference

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Starlink internet-from-space service was disrupted by a plan to use certain frequencies for 5G. A group of companies known as the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition are trying to prove that the expanded 5G usage will lead to interference. They wrote that there is a public misinformation campaign going on.

This tactic, which is commonly used by Musk, is not only disingenuous, but it also promulgates an anti-5G narrative that is harmful to American consumers.

The 12 GHz spectrum is used for 5G and is the subject of a dispute. According to the company, interference from 5G over 12 GHz would make Starlink useless for most Americans. According to the company, there are more than 2,400 Starlink satellites in the sky.

The commission is considering whether or not to allow 5G in the 12 GHz band, and the company is trying to convince them not to. In June, the company sent an email to Starlink customers asking them to petition their lawmakers and the FCC to stop the change. Over 70% of Starlink users left comments with the FCC requesting that 5G be rejected.

The main argument was that 5G service would cause disruptions. The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition says the document is flawed, not done by an expert, and that it focuses on "unfavorable geographies" and distorts 5G network configurations to reach its conclusions. The site reached out to the company.

The complexity of making 5G work in the 12 GHz band was acknowledged by the FCC chair. It will take time for these issues to be candid. She told the legislators that there was work to be done to determine if there would be harmful interference.

The 12 GHz spectrum is used for satellite TV services. As the company races to deploy a nationwide 5G network, it is looking to rely on all the spectrum it can get.