US Approves SpaceX’s Starlink Internet for Use With Ships, Boats, Planes

US Approves SpaceX’s Starlink Internet for Use With Ships, Boats, Planes
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a payload of 53 Starlink satellites lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on May 18, 2022. Steve Nesius/Reuters
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WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday authorized Elon Musk’s SpaceX to use its Starlink satellite internet network with moving vehicles, green-lighting the company’s plan to expand broadband offerings to commercial airlines, shipping vessels, and trucks.

Starlink, a fast-growing constellation of internet-beaming satellites in orbit, has long sought to grow its customer base from individual broadband users in rural, internet-poor locations to enterprise customers in the potentially lucrative automotive, shipping, and airline sectors.