On Wednesday, Elon Musk took to social media to criticize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its decision not to move forward with an $885 million award for SpaceX’s Starlink, a move that Musk suggests may have cost lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Musk, CEO of SpaceX and owner of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), voiced his frustrations, stating, “Had the FCC not illegally revoked the SpaceX Starlink award, it would probably have saved lives in North Carolina. Lawfare costs lives.” This sharp rebuke comes in the wake of the hurricane’s devastation in rural parts of the southeastern U.S., where reliable internet access is critical for disaster response efforts.
The award in question was originally granted in 2020, part of a federal initiative to expand high-speed internet service to rural areas across 35 states. SpaceX’s Starlink was tasked with providing broadband to more than 640,000 rural homes and businesses as part of a broader effort to bridge the digital divide. However, in 2023, the FCC under the Biden-Harris administration decided to revoke the award, citing concerns that Starlink wouldn’t be able to meet the program’s requirements.
The FCC argued that Starlink was “not reasonably capable” of fulfilling its promise of high-speed internet to underserved areas. Specifically, the agency questioned whether Starlink could deliver on the promised speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload to at least 40% of the rural premises by the end of 2025, as per the terms of the agreement.
In response, Musk and many supporters of SpaceX’s satellite internet program have criticized the FCC’s decision as shortsighted, particularly in the face of urgent needs for connectivity in disaster-stricken areas. Musk’s claim that Starlink could have saved lives during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene highlights the real-world implications of the FCC’s decision.
Notably, not all within the FCC were on board with the decision to revoke the award. Commissioner Brendan Carr, a vocal critic of the move, penned a scathing dissent that challenged the FCC’s reasoning and approach to revoking Starlink’s funding.
Carr argued that the agency applied an unprecedented and unfair standard of review to SpaceX, one that had not been imposed on any other award winner. According to Carr, Starlink had demonstrated its capability to deliver qualifying high-speed internet well before the 2025 deadline. In his view, the FCC’s decision disregarded evidence presented by Starlink and created a nearly impossible standard for the company to meet.
“FCC law provides that a winning bidder like Starlink must demonstrate that it is ‘reasonably capable’ of fulfilling its end of the bargain,” Carr wrote. “Starlink did exactly that in a voluminous series of submissions… The record leaves no doubt that Starlink is reasonably capable of providing qualifying high-speed Internet service.”
Carr further criticized the FCC for requiring Starlink to meet its service obligations years ahead of the agreed-upon deadline, a condition that had never been imposed on other award recipients. He emphasized that Starlink wasn’t required to provide high-speed service to even a single location until the end of 2025, yet the FCC used this future benchmark as grounds for revocation.
Musk’s frustrations with the FCC decision may also be part of a larger narrative about his evolving relationship with federal agencies under the Biden administration. Since acquiring X (formerly Twitter), Musk has found himself increasingly at odds with regulatory bodies and political leaders, including President Joe Biden. In a 2022 press conference, Biden hinted that Musk was “worth being looked at” and suggested that there were many ways to scrutinize Musk’s business dealings.
The revocation of the Starlink award appears to be one such avenue of conflict. Musk and his supporters have suggested that the move was politically motivated, aimed at stifling SpaceX’s success and thwarting Musk’s influence in key sectors such as communications and space technology. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the timing of the FCC’s decision has only fueled further criticism.
As North Carolina and other affected states struggle to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, reliable internet access has become a critical lifeline for first responders, aid workers, and residents in rural areas. Without dependable internet service, coordinating rescue efforts and delivering aid becomes increasingly difficult.
In contrast to the Biden administration’s actions, former President Donald Trump and his family joined forces with Musk’s Starlink to bring much-needed connectivity to those hit hardest by the storm. According to reports, Starlink terminals were delivered to impacted regions, providing essential internet access where traditional service had failed.
As the 2024 election approaches, the fallout from the FCC’s decision regarding Starlink is likely to remain a contentious issue. Critics argue that the move represents governmental overreach, while others see it as part of a broader campaign to undermine Musk’s ventures.
For rural Americans and those affected by disasters like Hurricane Helene, the decision to revoke SpaceX’s award is more than just a political debate—it’s about access to vital services that could make the difference between life and death in a time of crisis. Musk’s accusation that “lawfare costs lives” resonates with those who believe that the FCC’s decision was not just a technical error, but a serious misstep with real-world consequences.
2 Comments
Looks like the Government is not helping. This will not get fixed until November when the new leaders are elected. I do not think it will be Democrats.
This is just one more case proving that the federal government, infused with lawfare by the Biden administration, has established a policy that politics trumps (no pun intended) the welfare and safety of American citizens. It shows that, instead of serving Americans, the government instead serves the Democrat party and couldn’t care less about Americans. In fact, the weaponized agencies of the U.S. government don’t give a cr@p about the voting public.