SpaceX Is Working to Bring Starlink to School Buses

SpaceX is aiming to expand its satellite internet service Starlink to school buses in the US. The company mentioned the effort in a September 20 filing with the Federal Communications Commission. “Now, in collaboration with school districts, SpaceX is piloting projects in rural areas of the country to support students traveling on long bus routes with the goal of turning ‘ride time to connected time," the filing says. SpaceX is currently working to bring Starlink to school bus routes that “are more than 60 minutes each way and are predominantly inaccessible to other mobile broadband services.” The pilot projects come after the FCC in June 2022 cleared the company to begin bringing Starlink to moving vehicles, including cars, planes, and boats. It’s since been deploying a high-performance dish that can deliver high-speed broadband on cruise ships and commercial jets. SpaceX sent the filing to the FCC to urge the agency to approve federal funding to support outfitting school buses with Wi-Fi access points. Back in May 2022, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a proposal to do just that by taking money from the FCC's E-Rate program, which is focused on bringing affordable broadband to schools and libraries. SpaceX also says it's the company best-suited to bring broadband access to moving buses, citing Starlink’s ability to supply high-speed internet in the most remote regions of the world.