CNBC by Michael Sheetz 8/10/2022
FCC denies SpaceX bid for nearly $1 billion in rural broadband subsidies for Starlink
Key Points
• The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday denied SpaceX’s bid for nearly $1 billion in subsidies to support rural broadband customers through the company’s Starlink satellite internet network.
• In a press release, the FCC said two companies, Starlink and LTD Broadband, “failed to demonstrate that the providers could deliver the promised service” needed to receive the subsidies.
The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday denied SpaceX’s bid for nearly $1 billion in subsidies to support rural broadband customers through the company’s Starlink satellite internet network.
SpaceX, which is controlled by Elon Musk, had been awarded $885.5 million in the FCC’s $9.2 billion auction in December 2020 under the regulator’s Rural Digital Opportunities Fund. The company sought funding to provide satellite internet service to nearly 650,000 locations in 35 states, the FCC noted.
The FCC subsidies are designed to be an incentive for broadband providers to bring service to the “unserved” and hard-to-reach areas of the United States.
More:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/10/fcc-denies-spacex-bid-for-nearly-1-billion-in-broadband-subsidies-for-starlink.html
