Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly being considered to upgrade the FAA’s telecom system following recent air safety concerns, including a midair collision in Washington, D.C. Although Verizon holds a $2.4 billion, 15-year contract to replace outdated copper wires with fiber-optic cables, SpaceX proposed deploying Starlink satellite internet terminals. Industry experts argue that while Starlink could serve as a backup or for remote locations, it lacks the bandwidth and reliability to replace the FAA’s nationwide terrestrial network. Concerns about latency and SpaceX’s inexperience as a prime contractor further complicate the proposal. FAA documents specify critical services should have latency no higher than 50 milliseconds, whereas Starlink’s latency can range from 25 to 60 milliseconds. Additionally, bandwidth constraints limit Starlink’s ability to serve dense urban areas effectively. Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns over potential corruption in awarding SpaceX the contract. Meanwhile, the FAA continues to evaluate its options, including the feasibility of integrating Starlink for specific applications like weather data delivery in remote areas. — news from Forbes
