SpaceX is aiming to expand itss satellite internet service Starlink to school buses in the US.
The company mentioned the effort in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday. “Now, in collaboration with school districts, SpaceX is piloting projects in rural areas of the country to support students traveling on long bus routes with the goal of turning ‘ride time to connected time,’” the filing says.
SpaceX is currently working to bring Starlink to school bus routes that “are more than 60 minutes each way and are predominantly inaccessible to other mobile broadband services.”
The company adds: “Moreover, the overwhelming majority of the participating students will not have access to high-speed broadband at home. Connecting school buses will afford students the ability to optimize their commute time for necessary educational internet use, as well as time spent with family and friends or recreational activities.”
The pilot projects come after the FCC in June cleared the company to begin bringing Starlink to moving vehicles, including cars, planes, and boats. It’s since been deploying a high-performance dish that can deliver high-speed broadband on cruise ships and commercial jets.
SpaceX sent the filing to the FCC to urge the Commission to approve federal funding to support outfitting school buses with Wi-Fi access points. Back in May, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a proposal to do just that by taking money from the Commission’s E-Rate program, which is focused on bringing affordable broadband to schools and libraries.
The Commission has received "many requests" over the years to allocate the funding to school buses. “E-rate program funding is based on demand up to an annual Commission-established cap of $4.456 billion,” the FCC says.
In the filing, SpaceX said the company supports Rosenworcel’s proposal. “Providing new funding for these mobile services is of utmost importance, since in many cases, these students lack any high-throughput, low-latency option, not only during their commute to school, but also at home,” the company wrote, while adding: “And many students who need the most support live miles from school, with lengthy commutes but no connectivity.”
SpaceX also says it's the company best-suited to bring broadband access to moving buses, citing Starlink’s ability to supply high-speed internet in the most remote regions of the world.
SpaceX had also applied for $886 million in funding from the FCC to bring broadband to rural areas across the US. However, the Commission denied the federal subsidies over doubts Starlink can provide the promised speeds at affordable costs. SpaceX has appealed the decision.