GoKawiilFCC Chairman Brendan Carr testifies during the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled "Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission," in Rayburn building on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr lashed out at Amazon on Wednesday for opposing SpaceX's orbital data center plans while it's falling short of its own satellite "deployment milestone."
"Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit," Carr wrote in a post on X.
Amazon declined to comment.
Amazon last week urged the FCC to reject a SpaceX application for permission to launch a constellation of up to 1 million low Earth orbit satellites, which would function as a data center network in space to support artificial intelligence projects.
Amazon characterized the application as a "lofty ambition rather than a real plan," noting SpaceX has provided scant details around how it will "deliver on these grand claims."
SpaceX's Starlink service currently dominates the internet-from-space market. Amazon has been vying to compete with Starlink via its Leo satellite service, previously branded as Kuiper. The company has invested more than $10 billion into the effort, and has sent up at least 200 satellites since last April via a variety of launch partners, including Elon Musk's SpaceX.