Starlink explains why its FCC card listings are so different from the real thing

Enlarge / A Starlink satellite dish. Stellar Link

SpaceX has offered a public explanation as to why the actual availability of Starlink service is far below what it claimed on the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map.

SpaceX's FCC filings say it offers landline broadband to virtually every address in the United States, even though the Starlink website's service map shows it has a waiting list in large parts of the country. As we previously reported, SpaceX removed certain homes from the FCC database when residents filed disputes because they were unable to order Starlink from addresses listed as serviced on the map of the FCC.

SpaceX tried to clear up the confusion in an FCC filing last week. The company says it followed FCC rules when submitting the data and blamed the FCC's system for not allowing it to report the data more accurately. Per card system rules, SpaceX says it's permissible to mark an address as "served" even if the resident can only order Starlink's RV service.

Whether someone can order residential Starlink service at their address depends on “available capacity,” which is “driven by local subscription levels,” SpaceX wrote. The filing goes on to explain the mismatch between the FCC map and actual Starlink availability:

To address this confusion, SpaceX discussed with Commission staff how best to reflect the availability of its services in the national broadband map. Commission staff suggested, and SpaceX agreed, that SpaceX only submit data for its residential and commercial plans and mirror the map and other information on www.starlink.com. Unfortunately, the technical constraints of the filing portal prevented SpaceX from making this change. When these technical constraints are lifted, SpaceX will complete this file, which should remove an essential source of confusion.

In the meantime, per program rules, SpaceX will continue to populate the National Broadband Map with information on the availability of all Starlink plans that can provide service to a residence or small business; these plans are marked as Residential, Enterprise, and RV. SpaceX encourages those interested in purchasing or learning more about these plans to visit the Starlink website, www.starlink.com, which will always be the best resource on the current availability of Starlink services.

Starlink for motorhomes is "still deprioritized"

Starlink for RVs is designed for travel, but not for on-the-go use, and its service is rated as "best effort".

“Network resources are always deprioritized for Starlink for VR users compared to other Starlink services, resulting in degraded service and slower speeds in congested areas and during peak hours. and uninterrupted use of the service are not guaranteed." a Starlink Support FAQ says.

In general, correcting false availability data is important because the FCC map will be used to determine which parts of the United States are eligible for $42.45 billion in federal grants to expand broadband availability . But Starlink submissions should not affect the grant process.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which distributes the grants, says it will consider “satellite-only locations” to be “unserved.” A footnote referring to an FCC document indicates that this applies to both geostationary and non-geostationary satellites used by SpaceX.

Still, the FCC card should be useful as a public resource, and Starlink claiming its Deprioritized Service RV plan provides “fixed broadband” at specific addresses makes the card less useful. SpaceX's FCC filing last week argued that the "RV plan provides high-speed Internet at any fixed location, including a residence. It is also available for i...