Starlink, the satellite internet service of tech billionaire Elon Musk, has lost its frequencies in France after a legal battle waged by environmental groups.

In a ruling published Tuesday, the State Council, France's supreme court for administrative justice, quashed a February 2021 decision by the Arcep telecoms regulators granting Starlink two bands of frequencies to link the satellites with French clients.

The court criticised Arcep for not having consulted the public before greenlighting the project even though it was likely to have an important impact on the high-speed internet market as well affect users.

"The State Council sent a signal to those who confuse speed with haste," Stephen Kerckhove, head of Act for the Environment, one of the two groups behind the legal action.

Starlink could not be immediately reached for comment on the ruling.

Kerckhove said he hoped Arcep would not now just go through the motions of holding a public consultation but "truly carry out an economic and environmental evaluation" of Starlink.

Starlink offers high-speed internet service to customers in areas that are poorly or not served by fixed-line or mobile telecoms operators via a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit.

Kerckhove said the 12,000 Starlink satellites are a nuisance for those who like to gaze upon the stars.

Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Thanks for being there; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5+ Billed Monthly		SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal

SpaceX to test-fire rocket ahead of Axiom-1 private astronaut mission
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 1, 2021
SpaceX plans to test-fire a Falcon 9 rocket on Monday ahead of its first private astronaut mission, Axiom-1, to the International Space Station. The test, dubbed a static fire test, is a routine part of prelaunch procedures. All nine of the Falcon's Merlin 1D engines will briefly fire up as the rocket is held firmly to the launch pad. The ignition will enable engineers to ensure that the rocket's systems are ready to launch. If the test goes as planned, SpaceX will attempt to laun ... read more

Read more from original source...