{"id":53133,"date":"2025-03-31T16:49:56","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T14:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/?p=53133"},"modified":"2025-04-11T15:58:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T13:58:46","slug":"apple-vs-spacex-satellite-conflict-becomes-political","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/en\/rumors\/apple-vs-spacex-satellitenkonflikt-wird-politisch","title":{"rendered":"Apple vs. SpaceX: Satellite conflict becomes political"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple wants to further expand its satellite service for iPhones. But SpaceX, Elon Musk's space company, is trying to block this expansion, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. At the heart of the dispute are radio frequencies that Apple needs for its services \u2013 and which SpaceX also claims. The case also raises political questions, as Musk has close ties to the White House and the US regulatory authority, the FCC.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the launch of the iPhone 14 in 2022, Apple has offered an emergency calling feature via satellite. The feature is intended for users in areas without cellular coverage. The service has since been expanded to include additional features, including roadside assistance and messaging via satellite. These services have proven practical and, in many cases, lifesaving. But to further expand the offering, Apple needs more bandwidth. That's exactly what SpaceX wants to prevent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple's satellite service at a glance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

With the iPhone 14, Apple introduced SOS Emergency Calling via Satellite in 2022. The service allows text messages to be sent to emergency services when there is no cellular network. Since then, the feature has been standard on new iPhones. In 2023, Apple expanded the service to include satellite roadside assistance for people whose cars are stranded in remote areas. The following year, the ability to send personal messages via satellite was added\u2014for example, in the event of a disaster when the cellular network fails. The technical basis is provided by Globalstar, a company with which Apple works closely. Apple has provided Globalstar with over one billion US dollars for this purpose. The goal is to expand the satellite infrastructure so that more users around the world can benefit from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frequency dispute with SpaceX<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To cope with the growing number of satellite uses, Globalstar has applied to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to use additional radio frequencies. These frequencies are necessary for the service to function reliably \u2013 especially when many iPhones are communicating over them simultaneously. SpaceX has opposed this application. The company uses the same frequency ranges for its own satellite broadband service, Starlink, and sees this as a competitive situation. According to the Wall Street Journal, SpaceX is trying to delay the FCC's decision or have the application rejected altogether. SpaceX describes the frequencies applied for by Globalstar as an "unused resource" \u2013 even though they are already being used for Apple's emergency call service. The accusation: Apple is claiming frequencies that could be used more efficiently by Starlink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n