Apple and SpaceX enter the Star Wars era

Apple and SpaceX may be on a satellite communications collision course with Elon Musk’s firm attempting to block Apple from expanding satellite messaging for iPhones unless it does so with Starlink rather than other satellite communications partners. It’s a big issue that raises concerns that go far beyond smartphones and extend into the futures of multiple industries.

What’s happening is that in order to deliver on Apple’s need for additional satellite bandwidth to support future messaging on iPhones, Apple partner Globalstar recently applied to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to acquire permission to use more radio frequencies.

Musk’s company wasn’t happy about this and asked the FCC to reject the application to stall Apple’s attempt to expand its own satellite services. The new FCC chair is Musk’s close ally, Brendan Carr, who has historically attacked the FCC for failing to give SpaceX what it wants. He replaced former Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, who advocated competition in the space, erm, space.

Given Musk’s well-publicized proximity to the US President and his influential position with the FCC, this presents a challenging situation for Apple, which is also in talks with SpaceX to use its service to support its iPhone via satellite efforts.

Outer space is…complicated

With support all the way to the top, Apple’s biggest hope is that the administration sees that ensuring meaningful competition in the new race for space is precisely what’s required, given the need to optimize development and deployment of these technologies for national security. Even within that, the fact remains that there is only so much available spectrum with which to support satellite communications, and competition between the globe’s satellite and networking operators to seize control of those frequencies is fierce. 

At the same time, the attempt to stop Apple’s partner from getting any will not prevent every competitor from getting some, and it seems likely that at least some of Apple’s billions will go into SpaceX competitors, such as Echostar and Boeing. Apple’s billion-dollar-plus investments in Globalstar show the extent to which the company is reluctant to leave itself in thrall to one supplier, which is what it would be if it does not support competition in the sector.

With good reason.

After all, just prior to Apple’s first introduction of SOS Messages via Satellite, SpaceX announced a deal with T-Mobile that gave similar support to smartphones on that network. This was widely seen as an attempt to throw a spanner in the success of Apple’s announcement. Since that time, SpaceX and T-Mobile have sought Apple’s permission to offer support for Starlink on iPhones, and — following what The Wall Street Journal describes as “tense” talks — eventually agreed to let the forthcoming SpaceX/T-Mobile satellite cellphone service work seamlessly on new iPhones.

A future at stake

This isn’t just about cellphones. It’s also about future networking standards. For example, Apple is on the ATIS board, which is a standards body designing the next generation of networking tech, 6G, which is likely to include satellite-based communications within the standard itself.

Apple is also part of the Next G Alliance, an industry group tasked with establishing, “North American pre-eminence in the 5G evolutionary path and 6G development.” All of this may have a future bearing on the amalgamation of satellite within future telecoms. 6G isn’t expected to be ratified until 2030, but Apple’s positions on relevant standards-setting boards speak to the importance of those standards.

Connectivity is, after all, the special glue that binds devices and systems, and the future of multiple sectors relies on reaching acceptable deals for the foundational standards to support such connectivity. Making devices that talk to each other is relevant to so much, from space exploration to military and national security to the future of telecommunications, computing, and the consumer electronics industry.

With so much at stake, it’s essential that balanced decisions are reached today as they are likely to have a big impact later — and one decision that makes sense, at least according to most free market theory, is to ensure the healthy existence of multiple service providers for strategically important services such as satellite communications. And one way to achieve that is to ensure the available bandwidth is equitably shared.

That’s not to say it isn’t, nor is it to say that this is the essence of the Globalstar request; it’s just that if a balanced decision is not reached, the consequences will likely bring long-term challenges across key industry sectors.

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