Elon Musk’s Starlink Just Hit A Major Roadblock

According to the public notice shared by the FCC, SpaceX was supposed to deliver low-latency broadband internet (100 Mbps downlink, 20 Mbps uplink) in 642,925 locales across 35 states. Citing an Ookla report from July of 2022, the agency claimed that Starlink’s internet speed had been declining, especially noting that uplink speeds dipped below the baseline 20 Mbps mark. However, the notice also throws in a few harsher observations regarding SpaceX and its Starlink observations. 

In vetoing the application proposals for LTD and SpaceX’s Starlink, the agency notes that it is avoiding risky bets “that promise faster speeds than they can deliver” and “plans that are not realistic or that are predicated on aggressive assumptions and predictions.” As such, it was determined that Starlink was incapable of meeting the requirements laid out by the FCC. 

However, it is not the end of the road for SpaceX. The company can again apply for subsidies in the next phase of RDOF auctions as it continues to send more internet-beaming satellites into the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). So far, the company has injected thousands of Starlink LEO satellites, crossing the 3,000 mark with another Falcon 9 mission earlier this week. Plus, SpaceX now offers a service that provides Starlink installation on boats, after getting the FCC’s approval to offer internet services on the move.