The Morning Download: Silicon Valley Satellites May Bring Internet For All

Good morning. Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has filed a proposal with the Federal Communications Commission to launch, eventually, 4,000 satellites to provide internet access for the world. An initial launch of 800 satellites would cover the United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as The Guardian reports. Mr. Musk has been talking about his plans for a satellite network for a few years, saying that he wants to proceed gradually so as not to overextend himself, his company or the technology. Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google also have satellite ambitions, working together and separately. Google has chipped in $1 billion to help Mr. Musk. Facebook’s first satellite was destroyed in September, when a SpaceX rocket preparing to bring it to space exploded. More

(Source: Wall Street Journal - Nov 19)