Starlink, a major satellite communications (satcom) company, might use the spectrum of Vodafone to provide services in the United Kingdom (UK) region. According to a report from the Telegraphy, Elon Musk owned satcom company has been on the lookout for high-frequency spectrum and setting up ground station infrastructure to enhance the capacity of its satellite services. A Vodafone spokesperson told the publication that the company is currently in the talking stage with multiple satcom companies regarding satellite spectrum.
Vodafone Ready to Tie Up With Satcom Companies
The report further mentioned that Vodafone had submitted a filing with the UK regulator Ofcom sharing its intention to partner up with satellite companies to provide them with a licensed spectrum that can be used in gateway links to their satellites. OneWeb, another satcom majorly owned by the UK government and the Bharti group, is looking to partner with the telecom operators. However, with OneWeb, the case is entirely different. OneWeb isn’t looking for spectrum from the operators; instead, it is looking to help the operators with its satellite services. For example, much recently, OneWeb announced a partnership with the American telecom operator AT&T where OneWeb will help the telco with providing broadband-from-space services to businesses operating in the remote areas of the country. Starlink has said that it has also partnered with two major telecom service providers (TSPs), which are not known at the moment. Starlink is also looking to partner with airlines to install its equipment inside aircraft for providing Wi-Fi services. As per the Telegraph report, the company might just partner with Vodafone for getting access to the high-frequency spectrum. With this partnership, Starlink will be able to expand or enhance the capacity of its satellite services. Both Starlink and OneWeb are expected to enter the Indian boundaries by the year 2022. It will be interesting to see how these companies conduct their business in the sub-continent.
