The Starlink terminals are being sent at NO COST to the taxpayer on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.

The situation is extremely dire.

The FAA is on the verge of canceling Verizon's bloated $2.4 billion contract and handing it to Starlink—a move that would bring faster, safer, and more reliable air traffic control services.

Verizon's system? Outdated and expensive. Starlink? Faster, cheaper, and proven. SpaceX engineers are already fixing the FAA's mess.

The FAA's aging air traffic control systems was exposed by a 2023 national airspace shutdown. They are high-risk, with 51 of 138 systems unsustainable, including 17 critical ones over 30 years old.

There are risks include outages disrupting air travel, endangering safety, and causing economic losses, worsened by the failing $2 billion Verizon system from 2023.

There are modernization delays, with some projects unfinished for a decade, heighten failure risks amid 6.2% annual air traffic growth.

SpaceX Starlink

Reports indicate SpaceX is already working to deploy 4,000 terminals within 12 to 18 months. This would be a rapid initial rollout. However, this likely covers installation and basic testing, not full operational integration.

Full transition—replacing the entire ATC communication backbone—could take 3–5 years, based on the complexity of FAA systems (138 systems, 51 deemed unsustainable per a December 2024 GAO report) and the need for safety validation. Verizon's original FENS contract spanned 15 years, reflecting the scale of such upgrades.

A phased approach might prioritize remote sites (e.g., Alaska) within 1–2 years, with urban hubs taking longer due to higher traffic and safety stakes.

The FAA has confirmed testing Starlink at three sites (Atlantic City and two in Alaska) since at least the prior administration, focusing on remote connectivity. This suggests early-stage feasibility studies but not a full safety analysis.

The FAA said it has long had issues relaying reliable weather data to pilots in Alaska. It said it had been considering the use of Starlink "since the prior administration" and will install terminals at two "non-safety critical sites" in Alaska, as well as one in Atlantic City, New Jersey.