Elon Musk partners with Florida’s governor to provide satellites in areas struck by Hurricane Ian
- More than 100 of SpaceX’s large Starlight satellite receivers will be set up across Southwest Florida, said Ron DeSantis, with SpaceX donating the installation cost
- Joe Biden said the destruction caused by the Hurricane Ian, which has killed at least 50 people, is likely to rank among the worst in US history
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has struck a partnership with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration to provide satellite service for areas of Southwest Florida still without internet connectivity after Hurricane Ian.
More than 100 of SpaceX’s large Starlight satellite receivers will be set up across Southwest Florida, with the majority going to Lee, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto and Hardee counties, DeSantis said in a news conference on Saturday afternoon.
DeSantis said SpaceX donated the cost associated with installing the 120 large satellite units, which have a 13-mile radius and can support more than 1,000 internet users at a time, according to DeSantis.
Starlink does not rely on fibre optics like cable technology and connects to a series of satellites that orbit close to the earth, according to its website.
In August, the Federal Communications Commission denied SpaceX about US$888.5 million for rural subsidies related to the satellite systems after saying they failed to meet the programme requirements, according to CNBC, though the FCC chair acknowledged Starlink had “promise.”
Musk has previously expressed support for DeSantis for president in 2024, tweeting that he was leaning towards Florida’s governor. He said that former US President Donald Trump would be too old for a 2024 run, and said DeSantis would “easily win” against US President Joe Biden if he ran.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, is estimated to be the richest person in the world with a net worth of about US$247 billion. SpaceX has previously launched rockets and Starlight satellites from Cape Canaveral on Florida’s east coast.
