With Tesla’s stock price floundering, Elon Musk is seemingly doing everything he can to make the federal government bolster his net worth in the most efficient way possible. SpaceX sent a request to the Federal Communications Commission last week to block Globalstar from launching a new Canadian-built 48-satellite constellation. The project was partly funded by a $1 billion investment from Apple to offer more satellite-enabled features to iPhone users in the future.
The crux of SpaceX’s request is down to how the FCC allocates bandwidth in the radio spectrum, according to PCMag. Globalstar’s planned C3 constellation will use the 1.6 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. This should be fine on the surface because the FCC gave the company exclusive use of the bands alongside competitor Iridium. However, the regulator is considering opening up the bands to all satellite operators. SpaceX argues that the commission should “modernize” its regulatory framework instead. The request reads:
“Accepting Globalstar’s application for its new, higher-power system in the band would also fundamentally alter the spectrum environment in the 1.6/2.4 GHz band to the detriment of prospective competitors, such as SpaceX.”
SpaceX clamoring for deregulation
Globalstar’s position is that opening up the bands to more companies could create interference for its satellites, which is why the FCC is tasked with managing the radio spectrum. There isn’t an unlimited number of frequencies. The federal government has to ensure that the airwaves don’t devolve into chaos. As it stands, SpaceX’s Starlink is limited to T-Mobile’s 1.9 GHz band in the United States. If deregulation took place, Musk’s private space company could operate independently.
It should be noted that Globalstar and SpaceX aren’t equal competitors. Globalstar doesn’t have its own launch capabilities and contracted SpaceX to put its new constellation in orbit. The company also signed a $767 million deal for Toronto-based MDA Space to manufacture the satellites. If Musk had the option of putting more of his own satellites into orbit or his rival’s, he would choose Starlink to turn the atmosphere into Swiss cheese every time.
This obviously isn’t the first time that SpaceX has tried to use the federal government to kneecap one of its competitors. Two weeks ago, the FAA took a $2.4 billion contract from Version to update the agency’s outdated communications systems and gave the deal to SpaceX. It was also revealed around the same time that the State Department was preparing to give a $400 million contract to Tesla, an automaker without a defense division, for armored vehicles. Concerns about conflict of interest were brushed aside as overblown, but I don’t need a Neuralink chip in my brain to see the double-dealing.
