For The Hill today, Blair Levin and I urge the FCC to update its infrastructure policy regarding rural service. A fast-evolving technology, known as Satellite Direct to Device, has the potential to close a key gap in mobile coverage–providing service in outdoor locations where erecting cell towers is economically unfeasible.

D2D service allows ordinary cell phones to connect to cellular networks via low earth orbit satellites, effectively treating the satellite as a virtual cell tower. Performance and capacity are currently limited, but is likely to improve rapidly in the coming years. The major carriers already have partnerships in place to offer D2D, and recently agreed to create a consortium to develop common standards.

The FCC already has a special 5G rural fund set aside to close coverage gaps, but currently it is exclusively for cellular technology.

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/6167117-closing-america-5g-gaps