Apple and SpaceX enter the Star Wars era

Apple is also part of the Next G Alliance, an industry group tasked with establishing, “North American pre-eminence in the 5G evolutionary path and 6G development.” All of this may have a future bearing on the amalgamation of satellite within future telecoms. 6G isn’t expected to be ratified until 2030, but Apple’s positions on relevant standards-setting boards speak to the importance of those standards.

Connectivity is, after all, the special glue that binds devices and systems, and the future of multiple sectors relies on reaching acceptable deals for the foundational standards to support such connectivity. Making devices that talk to each other is relevant to so much, from space exploration to military and national security to the future of telecommunications, computing, and the consumer electronics industry.

With so much at stake, it’s essential that balanced decisions are reached today as they are likely to have a big impact later — and one decision that makes sense, at least according to most free market theory, is to ensure the healthy existence of multiple service providers for strategically important services such as satellite communications. And one way to achieve that is to ensure the available bandwidth is equitably shared.