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The Federal Aviation Administration will test Starlink, even though the agency awarded Verizon a $2 billion government contract to upgrade the FAA's communications network in 2023.
The FAA confirmed the testing on Monday after Bloomberg reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk approved a shipment of 4,000 Starlink dishes last week to the federal agency. On X, Musk also claimed, "The Verizon system is not working, and so is putting air travelers at serious risk."
The Verizon contract involves building and maintaining a “next-generation communications platform” for the FAA, including providing air traffic management for over 45,000 flights per day.
Verizon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the FAA says it’s “been considering the use of Starlink since the prior administration to increase reliability at remote sites, including in Alaska.”
“Alaska has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community. The 2024 FAA Reauthorization required the FAA to fix telecommunications connections to address those needs,” an agency spokesperson told PCMag. “This week, the FAA is testing one terminal at its facility in Atlantic City and two terminals at non-safety critical sites in Alaska.”
Starlink has proven it can deliver high-speed internet to the most remote places on the planet, including Antarctica, thanks to SpaceX’s growing constellation of satellites. Still, the FAA’s use of Starlink is sparking questions over whether Musk—currently serving in the Trump administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—has the power to influence government contracts, including at the FAA, which oversees SpaceX's rockets launches.
So far, the FAA hasn't said how much it's paying for the Starlink access. But Bloomberg reports that the agency plans to deploy the 4,000 Starlink dishes over the next year.