Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, the world’s two richest men, are in a dispute over satellite Internet ambitions. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX had recently asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to operate Starlink satellites to lower altitudes than initially planned.
But Amazon’s Jeff Bezos says such a move could risk interference and collision with Amazon’s Kuiper satellites, which are also designed to facilitate Internet services from the space.
According to Bloomberg, the dispute meant to be confined to regulatory filings, has spilled over into the general public view in a spat that showcases the massive personalities concerned as billionaires chase their desires within the sky. “It’s SpaceX’s proposed modifications that may hamstring competitors amongst satellite TV for PC methods,” Amazon stated in a tweet on Tuesday.
Elon Musk took to Twitter on Tuesday, “SpaceX’s rideshare offering provides increased access to space for small satellite operators seeking a reliable, affordable ride to orbit.”
Amazon’s response: (1/3) The facts are simple. We designed the Kuiper System to avoid interference with Starlink, and now SpaceX wants to change the design of its system. https://t.co/hY1xNFuOwL
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) January 26, 2021
(2/3) Those changes not only create a more dangerous environment for collisions in space, but they also increase radio interference for customers. Despite what SpaceX posts on Twitter, it is SpaceX’s proposed changes that would hamstring competition among satellite systems.
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) January 26, 2021
(3/3) It is clearly in SpaceX’s interest to smother competition in the cradle if they can, but it is certainly not in the public’s interest.
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) January 26, 2021
Musk’s comment came after SpaceX director David Goldman spoke with FCC officials last week to discuss the company’s proposal to move some of the Starlink satellites to lower altitudes. In a presentation to the FCC, Goldman highlighted that Amazon representatives have had 30 meetings to oppose SpaceX but no meetings to authorise its own system, arguing that the technology giant is attempting to stifle competition.
SpaceX director David Goldman spoke with FCC officials late last week, to discuss the company’s proposal to modify lower some of the Starlink satellites to lower altitudes and give a presentation with an update on the network’s progress: pic.twitter.com/QcDrKCB8Wi
— Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) January 25, 2021
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