In a new statement to the FCC, SpaceX denounced Viasat’s “misguided campaign” against Starlink funding. “Viasat is clearly trying to force the Commission to interfere with competition at all costs to protect its legacy technology,” SpaceX told the FCC.
But SpaceX may have had trouble finding funding, even if Viasat didn’t mind. Starlink received pre-financing from the FCC in December 2020, in the final weeks of Ajit Pai’s tenure as president. According to Ars Technica, consumer advocacy group Free Press accused Pai of “subsidizing broadband access for the rich.”
Starlink services are not geo-restricted like cable networks, but RDOF and other programs require providers to bid for certain counting blocks. Starlink has won contracts covering 642,925 homes and businesses in 35 states.
According to the Free Press, SpaceX has earned “the right to serve multiple urban areas for which the FCC’s corrupt system has been awarded” in addition to rural areas. A flaw in the FCC’s mapping system allowed subsidies to be auctioned off in “fibre-surrounded” neighborhoods.
Source: Ferra
