Elon Musk says Verizon's effort to upgrade FAA's air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over

CNN

27-02-2025

Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon's efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA's air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company, take over.
'The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly,' he said in a post on his social media platform X. 'The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.'
'The situation is extremely dire,' Musk added.
It was not immediately clear what FAA risk assessment Musk was referring to in his post.
Verizon has a massive $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. Asked about Musk's statement, the FAA issued a statement saying 'Regarding the FENS program, no decisions have been made.'
Earlier this week the FAA confirmed it is testing three Starlink terminals. Musk said those terminals were sent to the FAA at no cost to the agency or taxpayers at this time. He added that the shipment of terminals was done 'on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.'
Verizon did not immediately responded to a request for comment. Earlier this week it issued a statement about the FAA testing the Starlink system, saying, 'Verizon is bringing the nation's most reliable network to the FAA at a time when critical infrastructure and technology enhancements are needed most. We're at the beginning of a 15-year contract with the FAA that will help the agency modernize its technology.'
This is a developing story. It will be updated.