SpaceX accuses Telecom Italia of thwarting Starlink expansion plans
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SpaceX accuses Telecom Italia of thwarting Starlink expansion plans

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Elon Musk’s SpaceX has accused Telecom Italia (TIM) of obstructing the rollout of its high-speed Starlink satellite internet service in Italy according to a report from Bloomberg.

SpaceX has filed a complaint with Italian regulators alleging that TIM has failed to share crucial wireless spectrum data, hindering its ability to deploy new gateway equipment.

The initial request for the data dates back to mid-October, Starlink said in a previous document.

TIM responded to this in a document noting that Starlink should not be allowed on certain frequencies for what it calls “technical reasons”.

In contrast to other carriers, TIM “has clearly informed Starlink that it doesn’t want to coordinate” and hasn’t shared the necessary data.

That could service outages in parts of southern Europe and North Africa that are powered by equipment in Italy, the document states.

If the situation is not resolved, Starlink could be forced to move its investment from Italy and other European countries.

Both the Italian communications regulator Agcom and the country’s industry ministry are looking into the matter but have not yet commented publicly.

When contacted by Capacity a TIM spokesperson said: "TIM reaffirms that it has already provided the feedback due to Starlink and, in response to further requests for data, including sensitive and relevant ones for the security of communications, it confirms its willingness to dialogue with Starlink through the planned mediation of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy."

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