Starlink Denied FCC Funding for Rural Service

SpaceX has lost nearly $900 million USD in FCC subsidies for its Starlink broadband rural service. The Federal Communication Commission released a statement on August 10th stating SpaceX and LTD Broadband failed to show they could meet requirements for unlocking the funds which were awarded in December 2020 following an auction under phase one of the FCC’s Rural Digital opportunity Fund (RDOF)

SpaceX’s share of the funds were one of the largest among the 180 companies selected and would have covered over 640,000 homes and businesses in 35 states. The FCC has shared that auction winner were required to submit documentation to show the FCC how they planned to roll out their services and how they med RDOF condition before they would start to receive the funds. The nearly $900 million would be handed out over 10 years.

Starlink was required to provide 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload