SpaceX can deploy 7,500 more Starlink Gen2 satellites with FCC approval

The Federal Communications Commission has approved SpaceX’s request to deploy an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites, allowing the company to launch 15,000 in all. It has also allowed SpaceX to upgrade its Gen2 satellites with “advanced form factors and cutting-edge technology,” to operate across more frequencies and to add more orbital shells to optimize coverage and performance. This approval will give the company’s fleet a boost and will allow it to offer internet and mobile services to more parts of the globe. The satellites will also enable SpaceX to offer “direct-to-cell connectivity outside the United States and supplemental coverage” within the US.

In the United States, SpaceX has a partnership with T-Mobile, which gives its subscribers access to satellite-to-phone services. It enables subscribers to send texts and access compatible apps even in remote locations. The companies are also planning to roll ...