FAA Puts Musk's Starlink to the Test

The Federal Aviation Administration says it's having connection issues in US airspace, but it thinks it knows just the company to remedy it. The agency announced on Monday that it will be testing three satellite internet terminals from the SpaceX-owned Starlink at three sites in the United States: one terminal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and two "at non-safety critical sites" in Alaska, per the Hill. "The FAA has been considering the use of Starlink since the prior administration to increase reliability at remote sites," including in our northernmost state, the agency noted Monday in a social media post.

The announcement added that Alaska "has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community." Later that day, SpaceX/Starlink owner Elon Musk inserted himself into the conversation online, referencing Verizon's already-existing $2 billion contract with the FAA. "The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk," he claimed, without elaborating.

A source tells Bloomberg that Musk has already OK'd the shipment of 4,000 Starlink terminals in total to the FAA, under an initiative called TDM X. The program is set to be fully deployed over the next year to 18 months. As for Verizon, it seems unfazed by Musk's barbs and says the Starlink announcement shouldn't impact its own 15-year contract. "Verizon is bringing the nation's most reliable network to the FAA at a time when critical infrastructure and technology enhancements are needed most," a company rep says, per the Hill.

story continues below

The spokesperson added, "Protecting Americans who rely on a safe, secure, and functioning air traffic control system is more important than ever, and our enhancements will help make that happen." Meanwhile, in terms of whether Musk, who's currently leading the DOGE-driven purge of the federal workforce, has any conflicts of interest in earning more government contracts for his own companies than he already has, TechCrunch notes that President Trump "has claimed Musk will self-police ... meaning no agency or person is evaluating whether the world's richest man is personally benefitting from this access and power." (More Starlink stories.)