Musk says ATC system "failing rapidly" - wants to cancel the contract to award to Starlink (2 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

Musk has been after this contract since 2022 - it's currently held by Verizon. There's no one else that I'm aware of saying the ATC system is failing rapidly. The AP is reporting that Starlink equipment is already being deployed.

1. Special Government Employees like Musk are supposed to not have contractual conflicts of interest
2. Companies can't just go and deploy their equipment "for free" at federal operations because everyone knows this is just the way in the door.
3. None of this is legal under the Competition in Contracting Act

WASHINGTON (AP) — A satellite company owned by Elon Musk has the inside track to potentially take over a large federal contract to modernize the nation’s air traffic communications system.

Equipment from Musk’s Starlink has been installed in Federal Aviation Administration facilities as a prelude to a takeover of a $2 billion contract held by Verizon, according to government employees, contractors and people familiar with the work.

Musk said that the network used by air traffic controllers is aging and requires drastic and quick action to modernize it.

“The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk,” Musk on Monday posted on X, the social media site he has owned since 2022.

The emergence of Starlink as a potential replacement for the Verizon-led effort underscores the extraordinary conflicts of interest inherent in Musk’s position as both a senior White House adviser to President Donald Trump and a business mogul in charge of a sprawling array of companies. It is not clear what role Musk might be playing in helping Starlink parent company SpaceX win such business.

“There’s very limited transparency,” said Jessica Tillipman, a contracting law expert at George Washington University. Referring to Musk, she said: “Without that transparency, we have no idea how much non-public information he has access to or what role he’s playing in what contracts are being awarded.”

Musk has inside track to take over contract to fix air traffic communications system

A satellite company owned by Elon Musk is on a possible fast track to take over a large federal contract to modernize the nation’s air traffic communications system.

apnews.com

 

[Sendai]

What are we talking about here?

Does Sendai have no idea what he is talking about?

This entire thing reads like Verizon was contracted to lay fiber, and bring in carrier grade network equipment. It will take years.

I would not in a bilion years replace that with Starlink.

Starlink would only be viable as a backup.

“
Joe Russo

Yes, I don't know much about the headline. I read it late last night and again a little bit more detail this morning. Let me first start just our relationship with the FAA. So, as you just mentioned, we have a $2 billion deal with the FAA to modernize their network infrastructure and they chose Verizon because of the mission I talked about before.

The reality is, is reliability and performance are what the FAA needs, what we all need. And when we propose the solution for them, it was rooted in our deep engineering mission to deliver the best, most reliable networks, which is why they chose
Joe Russo

Yes, I don't know much about the headline. I read it late last night and again a little bit more detail this morning. Let me first start just our relationship with the FAA. So, as you just mentioned, we have a $2 billion deal with the FAA to modernize their network infrastructure and they chose Verizon because of the mission I talked about before.

The reality is, is reliability and performance are what the FAA needs, what we all need. And when we propose the solution for them, it was rooted in our deep engineering mission to deliver the best, most reliable networks, which is why they chose us.

We're in the midst of rolling out that network. It is not operational yet today, but will be shortly as we continue to build in additional reliability and performance for the FAA.


All I know is if they are testing -- it sounds like they're testing in three locations using Starlink for some connectivity. I don't know for what applications. I heard weather applications. I think that can be complementary to what we're trying to build to really run the FAA infrastructure.”

Note the “We're in the midst of rolling out that network. It is not operational yet today, but will be shortly as we continue to build in additional reliability and performance for the FAA.”

It’s pretty much developed.

 

[J-DONK]

“
Joe Russo

Yes, I don't know much about the headline. I read it late last night and again a little bit more detail this morning. Let me first start just our relationship with the FAA. So, as you just mentioned, we have a $2 billion deal with the FAA to modernize their network infrastructure and they chose Verizon because of the mission I talked about before.

The reality is, is reliability and performance are what the FAA needs, what we all need. And when we propose the solution for them, it was rooted in our deep engineering mission to deliver the best, most reliable networks, which is why they chose
Joe Russo

Yes, I don't know much about the headline. I read it late last night and again a little bit more detail this morning. Let me first start just our relationship with the FAA. So, as you just mentioned, we have a $2 billion deal with the FAA to modernize their network infrastructure and they chose Verizon because of the mission I talked about before.

The reality is, is reliability and performance are what the FAA needs, what we all need. And when we propose the solution for them, it was rooted in our deep engineering mission to deliver the best, most reliable networks, which is why they chose us.

We're in the midst of rolling out that network. It is not operational yet today, but will be shortly as we continue to build in additional reliability and performance for the FAA.


All I know is if they are testing -- it sounds like they're testing in three locations using Starlink for some connectivity. I don't know for what applications. I heard weather applications. I think that can be complementary to what we're trying to build to really run the FAA infrastructure.”

Note the “We're in the midst of rolling out that network. It is not operational yet today, but will be shortly as we continue to build in additional reliability and performance for the FAA.”

It’s pretty much developed.

This contract was signed 2 years ago. They've had two years to install fiber, and equipment.

Starlink is not equivalent. We wouldn't even use it as a emergency backup in our datacenters. The crap service goes down in bad weather.

It's not like installing a bunch of Starlink terminals would cost 2.4 billion.

Edit: I'll add Starlink shouldn't be eligible for a contract like this outside of some remote place that can't get fiber run, or as a backup. They can't offer a 5 9 SLA.