What really happens between the government, Starlink and Tim

10 April 20246 days ago babelfish

This is how the first discussion table between Tim and Starlink at the Ministry of Business ended: the two operators having been asked for the technical data by April 24th, the evaluations will follow. On the same day Salvini received SpaceX. All the details

The government is mediating between TIM and Starlink, the satellite Internet division of SpaceX, Elon Musk's aerospace company which has proposed to participate with its satellite connectivity services in the large Italian projects for the diffusion of ultra-broadband.

“The Ministry of Business and Made in Italy took an active part in today's discussion and coordination table between the technical delegations of Tim and Starlink”, reads a statement from Mimit. In recent days, the operator controlled by SpaceX had asked Mimit for a mediation table to verify the conditions of coexistence between the service they intend to implement and Tim's already existing one. Specifically, this concerns the use of spectrum in the 28 GHz (Ka) band.

Starlink itself has complained that the introduction of fast internet in Italy is being hindered by the country's largest telephone operator with possible repercussions for services in southern Europe and northern Africa. Bloomberg reported this at the beginning of the month, citing a complaint presented by Starlink to the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (Mimit) headed by Adolfo Urso, in which Musk's company states that Telecom Italia for months did not comply with the regulations requiring share spectrum data to avoid frequency interference. SpaceX also filed a similar complaint with Agcom, the state telecommunications regulatory authority.

To resolve the dispute, the Department of Business has now requested the technical data from the two operators by April 24th. “A simulation will follow to estimate any interference between the two activities,” says Mimit.

On the same day, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini also received SpaceX. The Italian Andrea Stroppa, advisor to SpaceX , made this known on the X platform . The meeting with Minister Salvini was attended by Stroppa himself and Brian Schepis, representative of Elon Musk's company (all three in the photo).

Here are the details.

THE BACKGROUND

Starlink is urging the ministry headed by Urso to push Tim to do everything necessary to cooperate on frequencies. As Repubblica summarizes, “Musk's group's internet service is based on a constellation of satellites positioned at around 550 kilometers above sea level. The devices send their signal to subscribers along a frequency band called "Ku". This same signal also reaches earth hubs, which are called gateways and are real access doors. In this case Starlink uses the “Ka” frequency. Musk's satellites and his gateways located in Italy constantly communicate with each other. This web of communications works as long as it does not interfere with the communications carried out by traditional internet operators, starting with Tim. Starlink therefore asked Tim for the information necessary to coordinate its signal with his."

According to insiders, Tim is in fact making the institutions aware that Starlink is asking to use Tim radio links which are strategic assets. For its part, the company led by Pietro Labriola declared that it "has already provided the feedback due to Starlink and, in response to further requests for data, including sensitive data and relevant for the security of communications, confirms its willingness to dialogue with Starlink through the planned mediation of Mimit".

However, if the situation remained unresolved, Starlink would be forced to move investments from Italy to other European countries, Musk's company had warned.

STARLINK AGREEMENTS WITH OPEN FIBER AND EOLO

On the other hand, in our country Starlink "already has agreements in place with Open Fiber and Eolo to use their portion of 28 Ghz frequencies to transmit the signal of its satellites", notes Il Sole 24 Ore.

Elon Musk's service already has around 2.6 million customers and the company recently launched a new economical Starlink subscription in Italy , at a price of 29 euros per month, which is in addition to the standard one of 40 euros per month. month. A move to win over more users… and more. “With 40 it offers connection speeds that are almost competitive with Tim's fiber optics”, underlined Repubblica .

A direct challenge to the main Italian telecommunications operator?

Actually not only that. In fact, Repubblica always reports that "the arrival of Starlink, among other things, risks putting Open Fiber permanently out of business".

DELAYS ON BROADBAND

In fact, Open Fiber is struggling to bring broadband to white areas.Just a month ago the concurrent control board of the Court of Auditors noted a "significant delay in the creation of the digital infrastructures linked to the Ultra-wide Band Plan".

Not to mention that the company's construction sites are behind schedule as part of the "Italy 1 Giga Plan" , a project promoted by Pnrr funds and implemented by Infratel for the gray areas. Furthermore, if there is no coverage by June 2026, Italy risks losing 1.8 billion in European funds intended for the company.

STARLINK'S PROPOSAL TO INTEGRATE TIM AND OPEN FIBER

And here Starlink would come into play. Elon Musk's company "would have spoken to the government about a capacity reservation that can currently satisfy over 500 thousand users in less than six months and about a related impact on economic growth, estimated on the basis of World Bank calculations, between two and three billion. For Starlink, the satellite would also offer advantages in terms of greater decorum for urban areas which may be damaged due to excavation works for the fibre" reports Il Sole 24 Ore .

HOW THE FIRST MEETING AT MIMIT WENT

During the meeting – Mimit reports in a note – the ministry illustrated to the parties a technical model for the analysis developed by the Ugo Bordoni Foundation, in house of the ministry, and asked the parties to receive the technical data necessary for the study of frequencies by April 24th.

Subsequently, "a simulation will be carried out in order to estimate any interference." The outcome of the analysis will be "provided to the companies within the following 20 days, so as to indicate a solution aimed at coordination between the parties" concludes the ministry headed by Urso.

THE ROLE OF THE BORDONI FOUNDATION

Therefore the government will avail itself of the help of the experts from the Ugo Bordoni Foundation who will draw up a report based on the data received to understand whether coexistence between Tim and Starlink services is possible (i.e. without interference).

According to Repubblica "the entry of these engineers onto the scene is bad news for Tim and a first victory for Musk." A report with an announced outcome. It will demonstrate that it is possible, on a technical level, to coordinate the Starlink frequencies and the historic Tim frequencies in Italy" adds the newspaper.

“The company of CEO Pietro Labriola will no longer be able to play the game with cards face down. It will have to share – continues Repubblica – with the Bordoni Foundation – already by 24 April – the data on its plants, the most sensitive: such as coordinates; the height, angle and inclination of the antennas, as well as their emission power. At that point the technicians' report will explain how to achieve the coordination of the frequencies which Tim now considers impracticable".

But it must be said, as Start Magazine pointed out in recent days, that in responding to Starlink's requests, the Tim group had precisely pointed out that the legislation provides for an entity third to the parties to define the sharing desired by Musk's company . And the Bordoni Foundation was involved precisely as a party above the parties to resolve the issue.

WHAT STARLINK HAS ALREADY DONE IN ITALY

For its part, "Starlink has created three sophisticated ground stations in Foggia, Marsala and Milan" reports the Gedi group newspaper. “Stations that communicate with Starlink satellites. These communications – here's the problem – can interfere with Tim's plants planted within a 10 kilometer radius of Starlink's three ground stations. And Tim has already admitted that interference is in sight (in channel 2 of the 28 gigahertz band). Hence, the need for coordination between frequencies that Starlink has already obtained with two other operators (Eolo and OpenFiber); but not yet with Tim. Now, the Bordoni Foundation's report is not binding. Tim, therefore, can confirm his no to frequency coordination" explains Repubblica .

MIMIT'S PRESSURE ON TIM

While on the one hand the Bordoni Foundation's report is not binding for Tim, it could still represent leverage for Minister Urso towards the Italian telecommunications operator.

Furthermore, “Urso will also weigh – adds the newspaper – the rules written by the Communications Guarantor (AgCom). The Guarantor made a concession to 4 operators. They are Eolo, OpenFiber, Tim itself and a less well-known company (Connesi). These 4 operators can extend the use of precious frequencies, also necessary to sell wireless Internet subscriptions (FWA). But the extension of use – until 2026 with an option to 2029 – is recognized on one condition: the 4 operators – Tim included – must coordinate the frequencies with satellite companies such as Starlink."

THE ENDORSEMENT OF MINISTER SALVINI

Finally, again yesterday SpaceX met another representative of the Italian government.

As already reported by Il Sole 24 Ore , Andrea Stroppa, advisor to SpaceX, is following the American aerospace company in these institutional appointments. The latter "also closely follows the regulatory dispute with Tim" which was at the center of a technical discussion at the Ministry of Business on Tuesday.

And just yesterday Stroppa on “Connecting Italy is Starlink's priority” writes Stroppa accompanying the photo with the smiling Minister Salvini.

Thanks to Minister Salvini for receiving SpaceX this afternoon.

Connecting Italy is Starlink's priority. pic.twitter.com/KGqttjzyQr

—Andrea Stroppa Claudius Nero's Legion (@andst7) April 9, 2024

Stroppa , again on “Thank you,” Musk wrote, commenting on a post reporting the passage from the interview in which Salvini states: “Having someone like Musk investing in Italy is important. And for Italy it is a great moment." In particular, the deputy prime minister defines Musk as "a fascinating person" and underlines how "as Minister of Infrastructure it would be very convenient for me to have Starlink in currently disconnected areas", referring precisely to the division of the SpaceX company that provides satellite Internet connectivity.

And it is precisely the support of Minister Salvini that is convenient for Elon Musk's company for the backhauling of infrastructure in the question of Starlink's participation in broadband plans.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/cosa-succede-davvero-fra-governo-starlink-e-tim/ on Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:29:02 +0000.