FAA staff reportedly ordered to find funding for deal with Musk’s Starlink

is a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020. Officials at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday ordered staff “to begin finding tens of millions of dollars for a Starlink deal” to upgrade air traffic control communications, anonymous sources have told Rolling Stone. The story follows reports that Starlink may be taking the job from Verizon, which already has a multibillion-dollar contract with the government to improve the system. According to Rolling Stone, the talks “have mostly, if not entirely, been delivered verbally,” something its sources say is “unusual for a matter like this.” One person the outlet spoke with suggested that it looked like “someone does not want a paper trail.” Rolling Stone says it’s not clear whether the Verizon contract has ended yet, nor if any Starlink deal is official. Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, which DOGE head Elon Musk owns. Referrin ... Read full article.