Biden Admin Weaponized Against Elon Musk. How Dare Elon Want Free Speech!
Elon Musk, the visionary entrepreneur and CEO of SpaceX, has raised concerns about potential government interference, claiming that radicals within the Biden administration might be looking to ‘weaponize’ federal agencies against his businesses. Musk’s apprehensions were further fueled by a recent decision from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to withhold around $900 million in rural broadband subsidies from SpaceX’s satellite internet unit, Starlink.
Last year, after Elon Musk acquired Twitter, President Biden gave federal agencies the green light to go after him. And they have. Today, the FCC adds itself to the growing list of federal agencies engaging in the regulatory harassment of Elon Musk. I dissent. Brendan Carr
The FCC upheld its initial decision from the previous year, denying SpaceX the $886 million in federal funding due to the company’s inability to demonstrate program requirements, including high-speed internet access, in 35 states. In a 3-2 ruling, the FCC stated, “After careful review, we find that the [Wireline Competition] Bureau followed Commission guidance and correctly concluded that Starlink is not reasonably capable of offering the required high-speed, low latency service throughout the areas where it won auction support.”
To qualify for funding from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), SpaceX must provide average download speeds exceeding 100Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps to rural America by December 2025. Last year, the FCC denied funding citing Starlink’s strained satellite capacity.
The FCC under the Biden administration just revoked an $885 million grant to Starlink from 2020 to hit directly at Elon Musk by applying an impossible to meet standard on his company. https://t.co/ACbyS7OmK5
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 12, 2023
In response, SpaceX argued that the decision directly undermines the RDOF’s goal of connecting unserved and underserved Americans, with Starlink being a prime candidate for achieving these objectives. The company emphasized that it is arguably the best option, if not the only viable one, to immediately connect rural and remote areas where reliable, affordable, or available high-speed, low-latency internet has been lacking.
Notably, two Republican commissioners on the five-member FCC panel disagreed with the decision, suggesting that the denial could be driven by the Biden administration’s animosity towards Elon Musk. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr warned against the weaponization of agencies, stating, “Today, the Federal Communications Commission adds itself to the growing list of administrative agencies that are taking action against Elon Musk’s businesses.”
Important development on how the Biden executive branch is targeting Elon Musk properties from every angle, this time the FCC revoking a nearly billion dollar grant from 2020 to Starlink creating a brand new impossible standard that only applies to Starlink. Mike Benz (see doc below)
Elon Musk himself expressed bewilderment at the decision, particularly in light of Starlink’s role as the only company effectively addressing rural broadband challenges at scale. Musk argued that the FCC should reconsider its decision or potentially dissolve the program, returning funds to taxpayers rather than awarding them to entities that fail to deliver results.
Despite regulatory challenges, the Department of Defense acknowledged the success of its nine-month pilot test of Starlink terminals in the challenging Arctic environment. SpaceX has responded to setbacks by accelerating rocket launches to deploy more Starlink satellites, currently numbering nearly 5,000 in orbit, dwarfing Jeff Bezos’ space internet company, which has only a handful of satellites.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr Suggests Denial of Starlink Follows Biden Giving Federal Agencies “The Green Light To Go After” Elon Musk After He Bought Twitter – Reclaim The Net
In an unexpected twist, Bezos had to rely on SpaceX for rocket launches due to severe delays in his own rocket company. Starlink, on the other hand, boasts over two million users operating across seven continents and in over 60 countries as of September.
Republican FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington praised SpaceX’s efforts, stating, “SpaceX continues to put more satellites into orbit every month, which should translate to even faster and more reliable service.” Furthermore, SpaceX has launched over 80% of the world’s payload to orbit this year, solidifying Elon Musk’s position as the leader in both the space race and the space internet race.
To Sum it all up: despite SpaceX’s remarkable success, the Biden administration’s decision to withhold funding raises questions about potential political motivations. Musk and some FCC commissioners suggest a pattern of regulatory harassment against Musk’s businesses, posing a potential threat to the United States’ leadership in the space industry. The leader of the free world, it is argued, should not be weaponizing government agencies against individuals or entities that play a crucial role in advancing technology and innovation.
Major Points Discussed:
- The FCC upheld its decision to deny SpaceX approximately $900 million in rural broadband subsidies, citing Starlink’s inability to meet program requirements for high-speed internet in 35 states.
- SpaceX must deliver download speeds over 100Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps to rural America by December 2025 to qualify for FCC funding, a condition Starlink previously failed due to satellite capacity issues.
- SpaceX argued that the FCC’s decision undermines the RDOF’s goal, emphasizing Starlink as a top option to connect rural and remote areas where high-speed, low-latency internet is unreliable, unaffordable, or unavailable.
- Two Republican FCC commissioners suggested the denial might be influenced by the Biden administration’s purported bitterness towards Elon Musk, warning against the weaponization of government agencies.
- Despite setbacks, SpaceX’s Starlink boasts over two million users globally, accelerates satellite launches, and dominates the space industry. The Biden administration’s actions raise concerns about potential political interference jeopardizing the country’s leadership in space technology.
James Kravitz, freelance writer for Whatfinger News
Comments – Threads – Links
- FCC Does the Unthinkable to Elon Musk – Larry Elder linking to Epoch Times
- Making up any excuse possible to try kill funds for Elon Musk assets, the FCC suddenly revoked Starlink’s 2020 grant, ruling, in 2023, it had not yet met standards that don’t even begin until 2025. They are trying to hurt Musk as much as possible before the 2024 election. – Mike Benz
- BREAKING: US FCC Commissioner, Brendan Carr, accuses White House and other government agencies of targeting Elon Musk. Today, Brendan Carr published a dissenting statement after the FCC said it won’t award Starlink an $886 million subsidy. He states that Elon Musk’s companies are being harassed by government agencies. Carr said federal agencies were given the “greenlight to go after” Musk following his acquisition of Twitter. Is @elonmusk being actively targeted? – The Kobeissi Letter
- BREAKING: US FCC Commissioner, Brendan Carr, accuses White House and other government agencies of targeting Elon Musk. Today, Brendan Carr published a dissenting statement after the FCC said it won’t award Starlink an $886 million subsidy. He states that Elon Musk’s companies are being harassed by government agencies. Carr said federal agencies were given the “greenlight to go after” Musk following his acquisition of Twitter. – Woodland
