Musk claims FCC risked lives in hurricane by rejecting SpaceX Starlink award

“If the FCC had not illegally revoked the SpaceX Starlink award, it likely would have saved lives in North Carolina,” Musk wrote on his X social media platform on Wednesday.

He added: “Lawfare costs lives.”

Communication infrastructure was severely affected by hurricane damage. Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, faced criticism on Monday.

Mayorkas said he was activating communications “as quickly as possible” and then said climate change was causing “the severity and frequency of extreme weather.”

On Monday, Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall announced that communications resources would be made available, noting that the Federal Emergency Management Agency “will install 30 Starlink receivers in western North Carolina to provide immediate connectivity to those most in need.”

On Tuesday, SpaceX began offering hurricane-affected residents a month of free access to its Starlink satellite Internet service. First responders, including Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), began delivering Starlink systems and supplies to hurricane victims.

This week, Musk was openly critical of the FCC’s refusal to award millions of dollars in a ballot measure last year that could have helped Starlink provide connectivity to hard-hit rural areas before the devastating storm.

The FCC denied Starlink funding last year over concerns about whether the company provided fast enough speeds.

One FCC commissioner, expressing opposition to their decision, called the 2023 vote “political.”

“Today’s decision reflects many of the same mistakes the Biden administration made
contribution to the implementation of other multi-billion infrastructure initiatives. Biden
The administration is choosing to prioritize its political and ideological goals at the expense of uniting Americans. We can and should reverse course,” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr wrote at the time.

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The FCC rejected claims that their vote on Starlink was politically motivated.

“Chairwoman Rosenworcel stands by the FCC’s thorough review of a program designed to provide long-term access to reliable and affordable broadband in rural communities,” an FCC spokesperson said Washington Examiner. “In this case, the agency refused to award public funds to more than a dozen companies – not just Starlink – that failed to meet the program’s requirements. As an independent agency, the FCC takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that taxpayer dollars go only to entities that fully comply with the rules and the law.”