AT&T, Verizon challenge SpaceX, T-Mobile's direct-to-cell service

AT&T and Verizon have a bone to pick with SpaceX and T-Mobile's direct-to-cellular service.

Verizon and AT&T have expressed concern that the direct-to-cell service could negatively impact their own mobile broadband networks, reported The Verge.

SpaceX plans to launch a direct-to-cell service with T-Mobile commercially in the US this fall, reported Light Reading's Mike Dano in May. The companies inked a phone-to-satellite agreement in 2022, and SpaceX plans to have about 800 satellites capable of direct-to-cell connections this fall.

"The service promises to potentially connect all of T-Mobile's customers to SpaceX's Starlink satellites in areas where the operator does not offer terrestrial coverage, regardless of the users' phones. That could potentially eliminate all of T-Mobile's outdoor dead zones," Dano reported.

AT&T and Verizon filed with the FCC to "reject SpaceX's request to waive out-of-band emission limits," reported The Verge. Satellite companies EchoStar and Omnispace have also expressed concern over SpaceX and T-Mobile's direct-to-cellular service, reported The Verge and Ars Technica.

In the company's filing to the FCC, AT&T claimed that SpaceX requested a nine-fold increase to the allowable supplemental coverage from space (SCS), aggregate out-of-band (OOBE) and power flux-density (PFD) limit.  AT&T told the FCC that this increase would "cause unacceptable harmful interference" to its terrestrial mobile services.

Related:SpaceX says T-Mobile's direct-to-cell service launching commercially this fall

"Specifically, AT&T's technical analysis shows that SpaceX's proposal would cause an 18% average reduction in network downlink throughput in an operational and representative AT&T PCS C Block market deployment," explained the operator in the FCC filing.

Verizon's filing with the FCC echoed concerns that the direct-to-cellular service would cause interference with its own terrestrial mobile network.

"SpaceX's proposal would undermine the Commission's core goal of protecting incumbent terrestrial licensee operations from SCS satellite operations in adjacent bands by subjecting them to harmful interference," according to Verizon.

However, in an electronic filing to the FCC, SpaceX said its direct-to-cell partnership with T-Mobile won't interfere with terrestrial mobile networks.

"Based on its review of SpaceX's waiver request and petition for reconsideration, T-Mobile reiterated its confidence that the proposed operations in the PCS G Block would not cause harmful interference to adjacent-band terrestrial operations, including T-Mobile's own adjacent-band operations," explained SpaceX.

Related:What's the Story? T-Mobile and SpaceX play the long game on direct-to-cell service

With the planned deployment of the direct-to-cellular service this fall quickly approaching, SpaceX argued that "competitors would continue to make misleading claims and draconian demands to further delay Commission action and limit service to American consumers."

Both Verizon and AT&T are working with satellite vendor AST SpaceMobile to link their customers' phones to satellites. However, a timeline for the deployment of those services has not been announced.

SpaceX has until August 22 to submit responses in the FCC docket, reported Ars Technica.