The Helene Communication Breakdown and the FCC
I’ll keep this one short although it’s in my mind a pretty big scandal. See, SpaceX was supposed to get $400 million to bring broadband internet to rural states in the US through its Starlink Satellite internet service. However, after Musk bought Twitter and became a thorn in the US Government’s side, the FCC revoked that grant somehow stipulating that Starlink was unproven technology. Less than a year later, an FCC commissioner would then say Starlink is an illegal monopoly. They can’t seem to make up their minds other than “Starlink bad because Musk bad.”
Now, after hurricane Helene, Starlink’s efficacy is shining. Many towns are without power, cell service, and internet, but stories abound of how Starlink is still going strong. Those with it are helping others confirm to loved ones that they are safe.
But Starlink terminals are still few and far between in places like North Carolina. Had the FCC allowed its original grant to go through, there would be over 19,000 government funded live Starlink terminals in that state alone.
