As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently announced, Alaska is to be included in the FAA’s latest test of Starlink, despite the $2 billion contract that the agency signed with Verizon to upgrade its communications network. The decision comes as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk green-lighted the shipment of 4,000 Starlink dishes to the FAA, which has cast doubt on the authenticity of Verizon’s system.
Musk has been very critical of Verizon and its services, accusing it of having network issues that are a risk to air passengers. The Verizon contract was inked in 2023 for the company to develop a new generation of communications infrastructure that would enable the FAA to manage more than 45,000 flights every day. But, the agency has now admitted that it has been examining Starlink for remote site reliability—especially in Alaska—ever since the previous administration.
Aviation has been a big problem in Alaska because of unreliable weather information and the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act has laid down a mandate to improve the telecommunication system in the region. In response, the FAA is testing one Starlink terminal at its Atlantic City facility and two at non-critical sites in Alaska.
Starlink has already demonstrated its capability to deliver high-speed internet in even the most isolated parts of the world, such as Antarctica, thus fitting well with aviation infrastructure needs. Nevertheless, there are increasing worries about Musk’s position in government tenders following his appointment as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration. Some people have expressed concerns that his appointment might lead to the FFA making biased decisions, especially since the agency also regulates SpaceX rocket launches.
The FAA has not yet revealed how much it intends to charge for Starlink service, but it has been reported that the agency plans to deploy the 4,000 terminals across the United States within the next year.
