FCC under pressure to deny $886-million subsidy to SpaceX for rural net

San Francisco: The US Federal Communications Commission faces pressure from rural internet service providers to deny a planned $886 million subsidy to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for beaming broadband to underserved areas from outer space.

Even before winning a competition for the funds, SpaceX had set up its service and begun launching satellites. More than 1,000 of the Starlink craft are now aloft, providing service to test subscribers. The company says its system “is uniquely positioned to deliver high-quality broadband service to the hardest-to-reach rural Americans.”